The influence of the coating process on the performance of the superhydrophobic anti-icing coating

Abstract This paper systematically investigated the effects of three coating processes—spraying, brushing, and immersion coating on the anti-icing performance of silicone rubber-based superhydrophobic coatings. The results showed that the coating process plays a decisive role in the hydrophobicity and anti-icing performance of the coating. Among them, using spraying for the topcoat can form an ideal micro-nano structure, enabling the coating to exhibit the optimal comprehensive performance, including the largest static contact angle, the smallest rolling angle, the lowest ice adhesion strength, and the longest ice retention time. In contrast, the brushing process significantly reduces the performance due to the disruption of the integrity of the surface structure. The study confirmed that optimizing the coating process can effectively enhance the anti-icing performance of the superhydrophobic coating, providing an important process selection basis for its engineering application.