Fabrication of superhydrophobic surface on aluminum by continuous chemical etching and its anti-icing property

Highlights: • The micro/nano binary structured aluminum surface with superhydrophobicity was fabricated by continuous chemical etching. • The static and dynamic icing process were systematically investigated using a self-made device and artificial climate laboratory. • The cold water on as-prepared aluminum surface can aggregate into large droplets and subsequently roll off before freezing. • The as-prepared aluminum surface can reduce the freezing area as well as ice accumulation in glaze ice. • The as-prepared superhydrophobic surface has long-term stability and mechanical stability. - Abstract: Aluminum is extensively used metals in transmission lines, and the accumulation of ice on aluminum may inflict serious damage such as tower collapse and power failure. In this study, micro/nanostructured aluminum surface was fabricated using a continuous chemical etching method. The static and dynamic anti-icing behaviors of the as-prepared aluminum surface in different conditions were systematically investigated with a self-made device and artificial climate laboratory. Results showed that the as-prepared surface can mitigate freezing in glaze ice. Only several isolated ice points formed on the surface in glaze ice after 50 min. Due to the superhydrophobicity of the as-prepared aluminum surface, cold water sprayed on the surface aggregated into large drops and rolled off the surface before freezing, thus protecting the surface against excessive ice accumulation. The surface morphology and crystal structure of the samples were also characterized by scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectrometry and X-ray diffraction. This study offers insight into understanding the anti-icing behavior of the superhydrophobic aluminum surface and may favor the application of structured aluminum surface in power transmission lines against ice accumulation