Guibin Shan

Constructing protective coatings that simultaneously combine anti-icing and corrosion-resistant properties is of great significance for applications such as power facilities. In this study, methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) was used as the film-forming matrix, and phase-change microcapsules were incorporated to construct a multifunctional composite coating on the surface of an Al substrate. The morphology and composition of the microcapsules and coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), the thermal properties were determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), the surface wettability was evaluated using a contact angle goniometer, the anti-icing performance was assessed through surface temperature during cooling and ice nucleation time tests, and the corrosion resistance of the coatings was investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and polarization curves. The effects of microcapsule content (5%, 10%, 15%) on the coating’s performance were systematically studied. The results show that microcapsule doping significantly increases the coating roughness; the coating with 10% content exhibits the best performance, with a contact angle of 156.8°, a sliding angle as low as 7.7°, and weak droplet adhesion with easy detachment. At −16 °C, the nucleation time of the 10% coating is significantly prolonged, being 4.8 and 3.1 times that of the Al substrate and the pure MTES coating, respectively. Electrochemical tests indicate that the 10% coating has the largest capacitive arc radius and a maximum Rct of 6.091 × 10⁶ Ω·cm², with the minimum corrosion current density (2.97 × 10⁻¹⁰ A·cm²), which is approximately three orders of magnitude lower than that of the Al substrate. At the optimal microcapsule content, the coating achieves the multifunctional synergistic enhancement of superhydrophobicity, delayed icing, and high corrosion resistance.

Ice formation and corrosion pose dual threats to critical infrastructure, such as power systems. Developing composite coatings that integrate efficient photothermal de-icing with long-term corrosion protection is of great value. In this study, a ternary synergistic hydrophobic coating was constructed utilizing multi-component fillers with complementary light absorption properties and multi-scale structures. The surface morphology, microstructure, optical absorption, wettability, ice delay behavior, photothermal de-icing performance, and corrosion resistance were systematically characterized using SEM, UV-Vis-NIR, AFM, contact angle goniometry, infrared thermography, and electrochemical analysis. The results demonstrate that the multi-component fillers construct unique multi-scale microstructures within the PDMS matrix. This architecture not only enhances surface hydrophobicity and delays ice nucleation but also delivers outstanding photothermal de-icing performance owing to its excellent broadband light absorption capability. Meanwhile, electrochemical tests reveal that the coating exhibits superior corrosion protection, reducing the corrosion current density by nearly four orders of magnitude compared to the unmodified substrate. This enhancement mechanism is primarily attributed to the ternary synergy among the fillers, which integrates complementary photothermal conversion, surface microstructuring, and corrosion barrier effects. This work provides a crucial strategy for developing novel coatings that integrate both anti-icing and anti-corrosion functionalities.

In this study, high toughness and superplastic deformability were achieved in Mg-9Li alloys through dual-phase microstructure optimization. Solid solution (SS) and equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) treatments were employed to refine the alloy’s microstructure. The effects of these treatments on room-temperature and low-temperature high-strain-rate superplasticity were systematically investigated under varying microstructural conditions. Results demonstrate that the SS-ECAP alloy exhibits outstanding superplasticity at room temperature and remarkable high-strain-rate deformation capability, achieving a maximum fracture elongation of 602.1%. Grain refinement and reduced dislocation density promote uniform void nucleation under high strain. Calculations of the strain rate sensitivity index (m-value) and activation energy (Q) reveal that the superplastic behavior in the SS-ECAP state is predominantly governed by grain boundary sliding facilitated by grain boundary diffusion. These findings provide critical insights into advancing the superplastic forming technology of Mg-9Li alloys.