Multilayer Functional Coatings Incorporating Phase Change Materials and Aqueous Self-Lubricating Layers for Improved Anti-Icing Performance

Ice formation on exposed surfaces remains a critical challenge for infrastructure operating in cold environments, where conventional passive anti-icing coatings often suffer from limited effectiveness and durability. This work presents a multilayer coating strategy that integrates aqueous self-lubricating surface chemistry with an underlying phase change material (PCM)-containing layer to achieve enhanced, synergistic anti-icing performance.

The top layer consists of a PEG-PDMS copolymer-modified coating that forms a quasi-liquid-like (QLL) interfacial water layer, as directly confirmed by solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The presence of this viscous interfacial layer delays ice nucleation and significantly reduces ice adhesion by limiting molecular mobility at the ice–coating interface. Differential scanning calorimetry further demonstrated that this interfacial lubrication mechanism lowers the ice nucleation temperature through viscosity-driven kinetic effects. Encapsulated PCMs were selected to release latent heat within the critical temperature range associated with glaze ice formation. Infrared thermography demonstrated that PCM-containing samples maintained higher surface temperatures during cooling from 0 to −20 °C, effectively prolonging the lifetime of the QLL. As a result, the complete freezing time increased dramatically from approximately 190 s for PDMS to up to 1560 s for coatings containing 50 wt.% PCM.

Ice adhesion measurements showed a substantial reduction for PEG-PDMS coatings compared to PDMS references, with a further decrease observed when the PCM layer was incorporated. Static-accumulation tests conducted at −5 °C confirmed a significant reduction in ice accretion for the multilayer system compared to single-layer coatings. Importantly, positioning the PCM beneath the self-lubricating layer preserved mechanical integrity while mitigating PCM depletion, enabling higher PCM loading without compromising coating durability.

This multilayer design demonstrates how thermal energy storage and interfacial lubrication can be combined effectively to overcome the limitations of individual anti-icing strategies, offering a robust, scalable pathway for next-generation passive icephobic coatings.