Effect of Lubricant Viscosity on Wetting Behaviors and Durability of Anti-icing Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces

Abstract

Icing accretion posed a safety hazard to power lines. Slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPSs) are widely used in anti-icing applications. High-viscosity silicone oil has been reported to improve the durability of SLIPS. However, high viscosity can cause problems such as slow self-healing and weak mobility of water droplets on the surface. Herein, the effect of lubricant viscosity on the wetting behavior and durability of anti-icing SLIPS was investigated. The droplet shedding test was conducted to study the durability of SLIPS. The results show that low-viscosity silicone oil can make the prepared SLIPS have good lubricity and low ice adhesion strength, while high-viscosity silicone oil can improve the durability of SLIPS. Under the condition that SA does not exceed 5° and ice adhesion strength does not exceed 10 kPa, 200 cSt silicone oil can make SLIPS simultaneously exhibit excellent slipperiness and durability.