Creation of an icephobic coating using graphite powder and PTFE nanoparticles*

Polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) particles exhibit hydrophobic properties, which can be used for the creation of super-hydrophobic surfaces, and applied to ice prevention. Such surfaces prevent water from collecting on a surface, allowing for the removal of sheets of ice when the layer of ice in contact with a surface melts. However, many icephobic surfaces require heating elements in order to melt the base layer of ice. A passive coating is proposed, which combines hydrophobic properties of PTFE particles with the solar absorptivity of graphite powder. For this, a coating with a 4:1 mass ratio of PTFE particles to graphite powder was created. This coating maintains contact angles of greater than 140^o and sliding angles of less than 4^o at standard conditions. In addition, the solar absorptivity constant of the coating is approximately 0.9 in the visible range, more than a 75% increase over pure PTFE-based coatings. Higher absorption of solar radiation greatly reduces the need for active anti-icing techniques. Due to the high thermal conductivity of graphite, heat captured by the surface is also distributed more evenly through the coating, making it more effective at removing layers of ice.