Effect of polyurethane coatings modification with organosilicon compounds on their hydro- and icephobic properties

Abstract The problem of icing is evident in many industry sectors. One of the most affected is aviation. Icing not only causes loss of aerodynamic properties and economic losses but also threatens safety. In the present study, an attempt was made to increase the hydrophobic and icephobic properties of polyurethane coatings in the aviation industry. Modification with in-lab synthesised organosilicon compounds in the form of Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes (POSS) was carried out. The modifiers that contained different functional groups were especially designed to tailor and increase hydro- and icephobic properties. The coatings were deposited by air spraying and evaluated using contact angle measurements at room and subzero temperatures, analysis of ice adhesion strength, freezing delay time, surface roughness via optical profilometry, and microstructure observed through scanning electron microscopy. Reduction of contact angle hysteresis (up to 50%) and roll-off angle (up to 45%) in comparison to a reference sample were observed. The investigation revealed that organosilicon-modified coatings significantly reduce ice adhesion (by up to 56%) and triple the freezing delay time relative to non-modified references, while also enhancing surface hydrophobicity. These findings confirm the effectiveness of targeted molecular modifications in advancing anti-icing surface design for aerospace applications.