Methods for Mitigation of Icing with Using Superhydrophobic Surfaces

In many engineering applications such as aerospace, automotive and telecommunications, icing leads to mechanical and socio-economic problems such as efficiency reduction, decreased power transmission, security threat, material damage and energy waste. Therefore, it is important to investigate anti-icing applications. Nowadays, the methods used to prevent or reduce ice formation are inadequate, in addition this methods are costly (e.g. laser application) and harmful to the environment due to applications like chemical spraying. On the other hand, as a promising passive anti-icing application, superhydrophobic (waterrepellent) surfaces come to the fore. Although anti-icing surfaces with low ice adhesion behavior are already used as a precaution. This method is applied to facilitate the separation of ice from the surface after the formation of ice. However, we know that icing is caused by the condensation of moisture in the environment on surfaces exposed to subzero temperatures or by the impact of droplets on the cold surfaces. In addition, studies show that once the ice has taken place, the water adhesion on the surface will increase and the icing process will accelerate. It is therefore more plausible to focus on the investigation and application of superhydrophobic surfaces instead of icephobic surfaces. The superhydrophobic surfaces, which have been proven to be applicable as an anti-icing measure, are characterized by the fact that the droplets form a large contact angle with the surface. While the surface-contacting interface of the droplet is thus reduced, its ability to move on the surface increases. Thus, the droplet can easily leave the surface by gravity and / or the flow of fluid in contact with the droplet after it has hit the surface or formed almost as a sphere on the surface. The parameters that affect the moving ability of liquids on a surface are of course not only surface properties. However, it should be noted that the common parameter for all liquids are the surface properties. Superhydrophobic surfaces have certain limitations besides the mentioned advantages. These include high precision in surface treatment and production; methods such as coating and painting applied to the surface are not resistant to extreme environmental conditions; at certain temperatures the surface is going to shed its superhydrophobicity. Although the constraints have been examined in the literature, there are very few and superficial information about the properties of the superhydrophobic surfaces in which environmental conditions are maintained.