A Development of Recyclable, Superhydrophobic Anti-Icing Devices for Power Grids Using Thiol-Ene Photocurable Silicone Elastomers

The rapid advancement of silicone resin additive manufacturing has enhanced printing precision and speed, yet challenges, such as limited elasticity and functionality persist. This study introduces a highly elastic, self-healing photocurable silicone resin (HPSR) based on thiol-ene chemistry, using thiol-grafted poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS-SH) and hydroxyethyl acrylate. The resulting HPSR demonstrates exceptional elongation at break (1336%) and efficient thermally induced self-healing, achieving 98.7% recovery efficiency. Its high elasticity also reduces cracking from curing shrinkage. By incorporating surface-modified boron nitride, the photocured composite (HPSR-BN) attains superhydrophobicity, with a water contact angle of 158° and a roll-off angle of 3°, alongside the improved thermal conductivity (1.356 W·m –1 ·K –1 ). Furthermore, owing to its superhydrophobic properties, HPSR-BN exhibits an excellent anti-icing performance. Not only does it maintain an ice adhesion strength below 25 kPa after 30 icing/deicing cycles, but the insulators fabricated from HPSR-BN also demonstrate ice accumulation that is only 1/10 that of porcelain insulators during a 1 h freezing rain test. Leveraging dynamic disulfide bonds, the resin enables the recycling of used prints. This multifunctional BN-reinforced composite holds promise for complex power equipment components and related applications.