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Lubricant-infused polyurethane-based anti-ice/ice-shedding coatings with high hardness and self healing properties

Background

The accumulation of ice can have serious and disastrous consequences and is a major problem, in certain parts of the world, for a variety of industries, including automotive, aerospace, marine, power transmission, power production, telecommunications and agriculture. This has led to the development of “icephobic” coatings that either prevent the build up of ice or facilitate its removal via an environmental stimulus (e.g. wind). These coatings must withstand erosion, wear, UV radiation and other weathering conditions while being cost-effective, environmentally friendly and scalable, with respect to production. Unfortunately, many available coatings have limitations preventing their widespread adoption.

Technology Overview

Researchers at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada have developed a lubricant‑infused, polyurethane‑based anti‑ice/ice‑shedding coating that has remarkably low ice‑adhesion (4 orders of magnitude lower than bare glass), is mechanically robust, has the same bulk hardness as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and is self‑healing. This fluorine‑free, bi‑layer coating comprise a surface “brush” layer of silicone oil‑infused polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and a cross‑linked polyurethane matrix that contains sub‑surface pores filled with PDMS and the silicone oil. The self‑healing properties of the coating arise when the silicone‑oil, contained within the sub‑surface pores, migrates to the surface thereby regenerating the PDMS "brush" layer. This coating readily sheds ice at a tilt angle of just 3 degrees.