Anti-Icing Characteristics of a 7075 Aluminium Alloy Surface Laser Textured and Coated with Superhydrophobic Perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane (FDTS)

Anti-icing is a technology urgently needed for human society to take production activities in high altitude and cold regions. Superhydrophobic coating is widely used to prevent important facilities from icing, such as power lines, building roof and aircraft skin. In this work a superhydrophobic coating was prepared on 7075 aluminium alloy surface by laser texturing and coating with a perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane (FDTS) self-assembled molecule. A falling droplet impacted the FDTS superhydrophobic coating and froze on it. Then continuous freezing and thawing were carried out on the FDTS superhydrophobic coating. The result shows that the adhesion between FDTS superhydrophobic coating and droplet is extremely small. Droplet can bounce off the surface, even in cold weather. Freezing of droplet on the FDTS superhydrophobic coating lasts 582 seconds, much longer than that of unmodified 7075 aluminium alloy surface. Also, the FDTS superhydrophobic coating has high wear resistance and can resist freezing and thawing permanently.