The anti-icing performance of a super-hydrophobic surface

which was aluminum-based surface prepared by an etching method

at different substrate temperatures of ﹣15

﹣20

﹣25

﹣30 ℃ for both static and dynamic cryogenic liquid droplets were experimentally investigated under an ambient temperature of 20 ℃ and relative humidity of 60%. Results showed that the super-hydrophobic surface presented good anti-icing performance under both static and dynamic conditions of liquid droplets. In static liquid droplet anti-icing experiments

the freezing time of the super-hydrophobic surface decreased rapidly as the cold surface temperature was decreased. When the substrate temperature was ﹣25 ℃

the anti-icing performance of the super-hydrophobic surface changed abruptly. The anti-icing performance of the super-hydrophobic surface worsened as the temperature of the cold surface decreased. In dynamic liquid droplet anti-icing experiments

at surface temperatures of ﹣15 and ﹣20 ℃

liquid drops were able to rapidly rebound off the low-temperature surface. When the surface temperature was ﹣25 and ﹣30 ℃

respectively

low-temperature liquid droplets froze quickly and were incapable of rebounding off the super-hydrophobic surface

i.e.

the super-hydrophobic surface lost the ability of anti-icing. Anti-icing mechanisms were analyzed according to the phase change nucleation theory. The research results are expected to provide a reference for the application of super-hydrophobic surfaces in outside heat exchangers for winter air conditioning.