Quasicrystal coating fabricated by HVOF for durable anti-icing purposes

Quasicrystals are metallic compounds with unique aperiodic but space-filling structures achieved by combining two or more elements, typically aluminum and other transition metals like copper and iron. This unique structure provides quasicrystals with excellent surface properties, including intrinsically low surface energy, a low friction coefficient, durability on par with metals, and hardness comparable to silica. The unique surface properties of quasicrystals combined with their durability will protect against erosion from rain and particulates while providing de-icing performance with limited deterioration to the coating. In the project, the anti-icing performance was evaluated not only by the ice adhesion strength (typically valid for interfacial length between ice and substrate ~ 1 cm) but also by the interfacial toughness with ice, which is the correct parameter controlling the de-bonding of large, iced surfaces (interfacial length >> 1 cm).

The deposited quasicrystal coating demonstrated a low surface roughness after polishing (S_q ~ 1 μm), with relatively low ice adhesion strength (τ < 500 kPa), low interfacial toughness with ice (Γ < 1 J/m²) and promising durability against erosion, high temperature, and UV. The de-icing performance of the quasicrystal coatings was better than other erosion-resistant materials, such as tungsten carbide, silicon carbide, and alumina.