RTV coating on 3D printing bionic structure surface with controllable friction and ice adhesion

The risk of freezing on exposed surfaces has consistently posed a challenge to both safety and economy. Bionic orientation structure is significant in reducing locomotion resistance. In this work, a stress-localized material is prepared by coating the room temperature vulcanized silicone rubber (RTV) on the fish skin-like structure surface. The influence of the coating thickness and structural parameters of the fish skin on its ice-repellent and tribological properties is investigated at low temperatures. The results demonstrate that the small hook-like spine structure covered with a 1 mm thickness of RTV exhibits the lowest ice adhesion strength in the positive direction. This is because the stress localization phenomenon is easily triggered by the small hook-like spines. Furthermore, the lowest friction coefficient in the positive direction is achieved, which can serve to reduce friction and provide directional lubrication. The molecular dynamics results demonstrate that the strong interaction between the ice and RTV molecules at lower temperatures contributes to the high ice adhesion strength. The results of this work make the stress-localized material with oriented structures a promising candidate for specific de-icing and tribological applications. [Display omitted]