TiN/acetylene black composite coatings: Enhanced durability and superhydrophobicity for all-day anti-Icing applications

Current advancements in anti-icing coatings emphasize the integration of photothermal, electrothermal, and superhydrophobic features to significantly enhance de-icing efficiency. However, these multifaceted coatings often involve intricate preparation methods and costly materials, making them susceptible to damage and reduced durability. This research aims to overcome these challenges by combining active and passive anti-icing principles to achieve full-time efficient anti-icing. A novel strategy is devised to modify the wettability of epoxy resins by grafting a fluorinated oligomer using a curing agent bridging technique. By utilizing micron-sized Titanium Nitride (TiN) and nanosized Acetylene Black fillers within a fluorine-modified epoxy resin, applied through a simple spray technique, the resulting coating exhibits excellent photothermal, electrothermal, and superhydrophobic properties. Evaluations confirm the coating’s robust mechanical durability for extended operational use and its stabilized effectiveness in photothermal and electrothermal de-icing. Notably, this approach maintains electrical conductivity by eliminating the filler hydrophobic modification, also enhancing the mechanical performance of nanocarbon-based multifunctional anti-icing coatings. Moreover, it simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces cost of coating materials, and enables broad application across various substrate surfaces.