Advanced Materials & Mechanical Engineering

Katarzyna Zietkowska

Warsaw University of Technology

Abstract Title: Modification of polyester gelcoat with functionalized organosilicon compounds to obtain anti-icing performance

Biography:

Katarzyna Ziętkowska is a PhD student at the Warsaw University of Technology (Poland) since 2020. She mainly focuses on developing hydrophobic and icephobic organic coatings that can be used in various industrial fields, mainly in the energy industry. In her PhD thesis titled "Modification of polymer gelcoats to obtain ice-phobic properties", she uses chemical and physical methods to modify polyester and epoxy coatings and improve their hydrophobic and icephobic properties.

Research Interest:

Composite materials used across various industries, such as wind turbines, aircraft, watercraft, and lifeboats, often encounter the issue of ice accumulation during the winter seasons. Traditional mechanical, thermal, and chemical methods for removing ice are typically inefficient, costly, and environmentally damaging. However, a new approach has emerged recently - icephobic coatings which minimize or prevent ice build-up. One method to design such surfaces is chemical modification with compounds that enhance their hydrophobic properties. The solution is based on the idea that a highly hydrophobic material can maximally reduce the contact time of the cooled droplets with the surface at negative temperatures and, as a result, prevents the formation of ice (or frost) and reduces its adhesion. In the present study, the polyester gelcoat surface was modified with functionalized organosilicon compounds with low surface energy. The novelty of the research is using modifiers containing two types of functional groups: reactive group that interact with the polymer matrix and non-polar group that impart hydro- and icephobic properties. The anti-icing performance of the modified polyester surfaces was determined by measuring the ice adhesion strength and icing tests conducted using an ice wind tunnel. The study also presents hydrophobicity, roughness and relationships between surface properties. The results show that the addition of organosilicon compounds significantly improved the icephobic properties of the surface, reducing ice adhesion and ice build-up compared to the unmodified polymer. Ice adhesion was about 90 kPa. It is considered that surfaces exhibit low ice adhesion when the detachment force for ice is lower than 100 kPa. From such surfaces, ice is detached under the influence of natural forces such as wind, gravity, or ambient vibration. Furthermore, it was found that all chemical modifications increased the water contact angle and reduced contact angle hysteresis of the polyester gelcoat surface. It was also observed that as hydrophobicity increases, ice adhesion decreases. The surface designed in the present study can provide a potential solution to ice formation and accumulation on composite substrates. What will audience learn from your presentation? (Try to list 3-5 specific items) • Importance of the problem of ice formation and accumulation on composite structures. • Explanation of what anti-icing properties are defined as. • Explanation of how to design a surface with anti-icing properties. • Explanation of the test methods that determine anti-icing properties.