Development of new hybrid icephobic/superhydrophobic surfaces using encapsulated phase change materials

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In cold climate regions, such as Canada, the accumulation of frost or ice on various structures is a serious and large-scale problem that affects the safety and operation of exposed systems. These systems include transmission networks for communications and electrical energy, wind turbines, aircraft, rockets containing satellites, hulls of ships, motorways, as well as open-ocean offshore structures. For example, ice accumulation on transmission lines can lead to the failure of critical electrical and telecommunication systems. Ice accumulation on aircraft surfaces can reduce the efficiency of airplane and helicopter engines by half as well as  aerodynamics, thereby,  leading to potentially fatal accidents. Progress made in the field of material science and recent research related to ice adhesion have together renewed interest in the development of icephobic materials that avoid the disadvantages of traditional methods of mechanical and thermal de-icing. The development of durable icephobic coatings, however, requires a much greater understanding of the phenomena of ice formation and adhesion. The applicant is particularly interested in the development of icephobic/superhydrophobic surfaces using encapsulated phase change materials (PCMs). Incorporating PCMs is a novel hybrid approach for enhancing the anti-icing properties of a surface. PCMs are organic, inorganic, or eutectic materials that produce a considerable amount of energy during their phase transformation, thereby preventing ice accumulation and adhesion on these materials. Successful development and use of PCM surfaces requires critical, yet still limited, knowledge in regard to the optimal amount of PCMs necessary for minimum ice adhesion, the ideal design of the structured PCM surfaces to maximize the delay of ice formation and minimize ice adhesion, and the factors necessary to ensure the stability and mechanical robustness of these novel surfaces. As these icephobic surfaces are for use on exposed structures in cold environments, these developed surfaces must be tested under harsh environmental conditions, such as exposure to extremely cold temperatures and wind-driven impacts from frozen precipitation. The undertaking of such a study is ambitious, yet the project goal is obtainable, and there is extraordinary potential for a greater understanding of the range of phenomena acting on ice adhesion mechanisms and the development of icephobic/superhydrophobic phase change material surfaces. This research program will involve four graduate and several undergraduate students who will be trained and prepared for successful careers in industry or academia within the field of material and chemical science.