Ultrafast Flame‐Ablation–Enabled Fabrication of Repairable Superhydrophobic Anti‐Icing Surfaces

Abstract Conventional superhydrophobic anti‐icing coatings for propellers or aircraft leading edges suffer from inadequate durability, protracted fabrication cycles, and high processing costs, which constrain deployment in extreme environments. This work presents a rapid synergistic approach that combines templating with flame induction. A stable micro‐nanostructure is first imparted to silicone rubber via templating, and a brief ≈3 s flame treatment then produces a coating‐free and repairable superhydrophobic surface. The surface shows a static water contact angle of ≈162.3° and a sliding angle of ≈0.56°. At −15 °C, the icing delay reaches 1060 s, ≈7.3 times that of pristine silicone rubber, and obvious frosting is absent until ≈840 s. Even after 2500 mL sand‐flow impingement, 180 min water‐jet impact, 72 h ultraviolet irradiation, 72 h chemical corrosion, >120 cycles of compression/tension/bending, and sandpaper abrasion, the surface still maintains a contact angle >155° and a sliding angle <4°. These results highlight its outstanding mechanical robustness and chemical stability. The method integrates ultrafast fabrication, low cost, straightforward scalability, and repeatable repair, delivering an efficient, long‐lasting, and repairable anti‐icing anti‐frosting surface design for aircraft leading edges and other critical components, with strong potential for practical deployment.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Published
2025-12-07
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202528710
Citations
2
Primary Topic
Surface Modification and Superhydrophobicity
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.32

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article

Ultrafast Flame‐Ablation–Enabled Fabrication of Repairable Superhydrophobic Anti‐Icing Surfaces

Jingrui Liang, Fapeng Zhang, Yangyang Jia, Wen‐Di Li et al.
2 citations
Advanced Functional Materials
Surface Modification and Superhydrophobicity
1.32
article

Ultrafast Flame‐Ablation–Enabled Fabrication of Repairable Superhydrophobic Anti‐Icing Surfaces

Jingrui Liang, Fapeng Zhang, Yangyang Jia, Wen‐Di Li, Liang Yin, Qiang He, Qi Guo
article en
2 citations

Abstract

Abstract Conventional superhydrophobic anti‐icing coatings for propellers or aircraft leading edges suffer from inadequate durability, protracted fabrication cycles, and high processing costs, which constrain deployment in extreme environments. This work presents a rapid synergistic approach that combines templating with flame induction. A stable micro‐nanostructure is first imparted to silicone rubber via templating, and a brief ≈3 s flame treatment then produces a coating‐free and repairable superhydrophobic surface. The surface shows a static water contact angle of ≈162.3° and a sliding angle of ≈0.56°. At −15 °C, the icing delay reaches 1060 s, ≈7.3 times that of pristine silicone rubber, and obvious frosting is absent until ≈840 s. Even after 2500 mL sand‐flow impingement, 180 min water‐jet impact, 72 h ultraviolet irradiation, 72 h chemical corrosion, >120 cycles of compression/tension/bending, and sandpaper abrasion, the surface still maintains a contact angle >155° and a sliding angle <4°. These results highlight its outstanding mechanical robustness and chemical stability. The method integrates ultrafast fabrication, low cost, straightforward scalability, and repeatable repair, delivering an efficient, long‐lasting, and repairable anti‐icing anti‐frosting surface design for aircraft leading edges and other critical components, with strong potential for practical deployment.

Advanced Functional Materials
Craft Group (China) (CN), Sichuan Fire Research Institute (CN), Civil Aviation Flight University of China (CN)
National Science and Technology Major Project, Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province
Openalex Percentile: Top 17%
Surface Modification and Superhydrophobicity
1.32
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