Yantong Xu1, Guang Zhang2, Long Li1, Changjian Xu3, Xiaochen Lv1, Hui Zhang1, Wei Yao4. 1. Department of Space Science Research, Qian Xuesen Laboratory of Space Technology, China Academy of Space Technology, Beijing 100094, China. 2. Department of Space Science Research, Qian Xuesen Laboratory of Space Technology, China Academy of Space Technology, Beijing 100094, China. Electronic address: zhangguang@qxslab.cn. 3. State Key Laboratory of Engine Combustion, School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China. 4. Department of Space Science Research, Qian Xuesen Laboratory of Space Technology, China Academy of Space Technology, Beijing 100094, China. Electronic address: yaowei@qxslab.cn.
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS: Ice formation and accumulation are critical issues for the breakdown of power lines, aircraft wings, and other important facilities in cold environments. Although a large number of passive icephobic surfaces based on superhydrophobic materials have been designed in the last few decades, the complicated and high-cost fabrication processes limit them beyond large-scale applications. Therefore it is indeed to further investigate the readily available and low-cost functional icephobic materials. EXPERIMENTS: In this article, a kind of superhydrophobic film consisting of amorphous carbon nano-particles was synthesized on common glass by the ethanol-flame synthesis method. More importantly, the microstructures of the as-prepared carbon nano-film, as well as the static contact angles, and the dynamic sliding-off angles of water droplets, were fully measured. The icephobic properties of the carbon nano-film and bare glass were also carefully investigated by measuring the critical parameters, including freezing times of water droplets, ice adhesion strengths, and dynamic sliding-off angles of droplets at different cooling temperatures. FINDINGS: Results of static contact angle and dynamic sliding-off angle measurements reveal that the as-synthesized carbon nano-film has outstanding superhydrophobic properties. Furthermore, water droplets could completely roll off from the carbon nano-film with inclination angles >5° at cooling temperatures as low as -23 °C. It is also observed that the superhydrophobic carbon nano-film remarkably decelerate the freezing process of water droplets on common glass. In addition, the ice adhesion strength is remarkably reduced by the carbon nano-film. Hence, the carbon nano-film yields excellent icephobic properties by effectively reducing the formation and accumulation of ice. Thus, our work provides a potential approach for low-cost icephobic applications.
HYPOTHESIS: Ice formation and accumulation are critical issues for the breakdown of power lines, aircraft wings, and other important facilities in cold environments. Although a large number of passive icephobic surfaces based on superhydrophobic materials have been designed in the last few decades, the complicated and high-cost fabrication processes limit them beyond large-scale applications. Therefore it is indeed to further investigate the readily available and low-cost functional icephobic materials. EXPERIMENTS: In this article, a kind of superhydrophobic film consisting of amorphous carbon nano-particles was synthesized on common glass by the ethanol-flame synthesis method. More importantly, the microstructures of the as-prepared carbon nano-film, as well as the static contact angles, and the dynamic sliding-off angles of water droplets, were fully measured. The icephobic properties of the carbon nano-film and bare glass were also carefully investigated by measuring the critical parameters, including freezing times of water droplets, ice adhesion strengths, and dynamic sliding-off angles of droplets at different cooling temperatures. FINDINGS: Results of static contact angle and dynamic sliding-off angle measurements reveal that the as-synthesized carbon nano-film has outstanding superhydrophobic properties. Furthermore, water droplets could completely roll off from the carbon nano-film with inclination angles >5° at cooling temperatures as low as -23 °C. It is also observed that the superhydrophobic carbon nano-film remarkably decelerate the freezing process of water droplets on common glass. In addition, the ice adhesion strength is remarkably reduced by the carbon nano-film. Hence, the carbon nano-film yields excellent icephobic properties by effectively reducing the formation and accumulation of ice. Thus, our work provides a potential approach for low-cost icephobic applications.