Nanohairs and Photothermal Deicing/Defrosting on Surface of Injection-compression Molded PP/MWCNTs Composite

作者：Zhu, Jun; Huang, Han-xiong^*

来源：ACTA POLYMERICA SINICA, 2021, 52(11): 1506-1513.

DOI：10.11777/j.issn1000-3304.2021.21093

• Polypropylene/multi-walled carbon nanotubes nanocomposite
• Injection-compression molding
• Nanohairs
• Photothermal
• Deicing/defrosting

The polypropylene/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (PP/MWCNTs) composite replicas with densely distributed nanohairs on their surfaces were rapidly prepared by injection-compression molding (ICM). It was demonstrated that the nanohairs endowed the replica surface with superhydrophobicity (a contact angle of 159.2 degrees) and extremely low adhesion (a roll angle of less than 3 degrees). Both the MWCNTs and nanohairs effectively reduced the reflectance on the replica surface (the average reflectivity was only 5.5% in the wavelength range of 300-800 nm) and promoted the replica to absorb sunlight (its average surface temperature was raised from 0 degrees C to 77.4 degrees C under 1 sun illumination for 300 s). Both the wetting state and efficient photothermal conversion endowed the replica with higher anti-icing and deicing/defrosting abilities. The freezing time of water droplet on the replica surface was prolonged significantly and the ice droplet was quickly removed under 1 sun illumination. During photothermal defrosting, the frost fragments curled into spherical melting droplets and melting droplets spontaneously slid on the replica surface. The surface coverage fraction of the melting droplets was only 7.5% at the end of fully defrosting. The results demonstrate that it is feasible to rapidly fabricate superhydrophobic polymer (nano)composite surfaces with higher passive anti-icing and photothermal deicing/defrosting abilities.