Experimental Study on Anti-Icing of Robust TiO2/Polyurea Superhydrophobic Coating

Abstract

This study aims to solve the icing problem of wind turbine blades in low-temperature environments and to improve the power generation efficiency of wind turbines. In this study, modified TiO2 particles (500 nm), butyl acetate solvent, polyaspartic acid ester polyurea (PAE polyurea), and Crestron N75 curing agent were mixed and sprayed on the epoxy resin board surface. Static icing test, dynamic icing test, wear resistance test, and icing adhesion strength test studies were carried out to evaluate the anti-icing performance of the coating as well as its mechanical stability. The results showed that the mechanical stability and anti-icing performance of the coating were relatively optimal when the ratio of modified TiO2 particles to PAE polyurea was 1.5. Under this ratio, the static contact angle of the coating was 161.4°, and the rolling angle was 4.7°. The main reason for the superhydrophobic performance after 250 wear cycles was that the TiO2 particles were encapsulated by PAE polyurea. The static contact angle of the coating was still greater than 150° after eight icing–de-icing cycles. This paper provides a simple method to prepare a robust superhydrophobic coating and promotes the application of superhydrophobic coatings in the field of passive anti-icing of wind turbine blades.