The emergence of anti-icing super-hydrophobic coatings has solved many problems caused by ice in the transportation, power, construction and agriculture industries: it is easy to cause serious traffic accidents, making wind turbine blades difficult to operate, affecting blade energy output, destroying wires and Crops, which stop aircraft engines, ships and air-conditioning systems, have caused serious damage to social stability. Therefore, research on anti-icing technology is of great value to improve the safe operation of power systems.

The development of anti-icing technology dates back to the late 1950s. So far, the deicing methods commonly used at home and abroad mainly include anti-icing agents, mechanical deicing, thermal deicing, and natural passive deicing.

(1) Apply anti-icing agent: Apply anti-icing agent to the surface of the substrate to reduce the freezing point. Anti-icing agents are generally liquid or salt, which are polluting and corrosive to the soil and can only be temporarily applied and have a short aging time. The anti-icing agent is mainly used for deicing on the road surface, and the effect is obvious.

(2) Mechanical de-icing: De-icing is performed using appropriate de-icing machinery and facilities. It is characterized by low operating cost and low energy consumption, but it is low in efficiency, difficult to operate, and limited by weather and terrain. Therefore, it can only be used as an emergency method and it is difficult to promote and apply it in a wide range.

(3) Thermal deicing: The surface temperature of the material is maintained above the freezing point by an additional heat source (or its own heat source) to achieve the purpose of preventing ice coating. The method has obvious effects, but the energy consumption is large, the equipment investment cost is high, and the use range is small, and it is not suitable for long-distance deicing.

(4) Natural passive de-icing: using the role of wind and natural forces, supplemented by appropriate artificial equipment (such as installing snow-blocking rings, balance hammers, etc. on the wires), so that the ice does not easily coalesce and fall off on its own, thus Anti-icing effect. The method is simple and easy, and the cost is low. However, it has certain limitations in terms of geographical environment, and cannot completely prevent the damage of the ice on the transmission line.

(5) Other de-icing methods: such as electric field (or magnetic field) deicing, particle freezing before collision, ultrasonic technology and corona technology.

The above methods for preventing ice icing have certain limitations. This study will review the related technologies and methods for anti-icing super-hydrophobic coatings, highlighting prevention, focusing on convenience, efficiency, energy saving and economy. Provide an effective reference for related research.

Anti-icing and super-hydrophobic surfaces

A large number of experiments and theoretical studies have shown that the reduction of ice adhesion has a certain correlation with the superhydrophobic surface, and the superhydrophobic surface can prevent the formation of ice from supercooled water and has anti-icing properties. Superhydrophobic surfaces are characterized by high water contact angles (typically >150°) and low contact angle hysteresis (or droplet roll angles, typically <> In addition to its remarkable hydrophobicity, the superhydrophobic surface reduces the accumulation of snow and ice on its surface and even completely prevents solid surfaces from freezing.

Barthlott et al. revealed the dust-proof and self-cleaning mechanism of the lotus flower “out of the mud and not dyeing” from the microscopic aspect. Studies have shown that the perfect combination of surface micro-nanostructures and chemical waxes on the surface of the lotus leaf is the real cause of the "Lotus Effect". This unique structure creates a very large static water contact angle and a very small water contact angle lag (or droplet roll angle) that facilitates the formation of water droplets, allowing it to roll easily and carry away contaminants from the surface. The purpose of self-cleaning.

       Nano-silver and other composite super-hydrophobic coatings have anti-icing properties. As long as the size of the nanoparticles in the composite material is appropriate, the coating can effectively prevent the formation of ice from the supercooled water, both under the test conditions and in the natural environment. Therefore, in order to ensure the use of results, super-hydrophobic coatings wholesale should also be qualified for qualified manufacturers.