Preparation and icephobic properties of polymethyltrifluoropropylsiloxane-polyacrylate block copolymers

•PMTFPS-b-polyacrylate copolymers in five different compositions were synthesized.•Enrichment of PMTFPS amounts at the surface made high F/Si value.•Icing delay time was related to the surface roughness.•Ice shear strength was decreased by the synergistic effect of silicone and fluorine.

Five polymethyltrifluoropropylsiloxane (PMTFPS)-polyacrylate block copolymers (PMTFPS-b-polyacrylate) were synthesized by free radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate, n-butyl acrylate and hydroxyethyl methacrylate using PMTFPS macroazoinitiator (PMTFPS-MAI) in range of 10-50 mass percentages. The morphology, surface chemical composition and wettability of the prepared copolymer films were investigated by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and water contact angle measurement. Delayed icing time and ice shear strength of the films were also detected for the icephobic purpose. The surface morphologies of the copolymers were different from those of the bulk because of the migration of the PMTFPS segments to the air interface during the film formation. Maximal delayed icing time (186 s at −15 °C) and reduction of the ice shear strength (301 ± 10 kPa) which was significantly lower than that of polyacrylates (804 ± 37 kPa) were achieved when the content of PMTFPS-MAI was 20 wt%. The icephobicity of the copolymers was attributed primarily to the enrichment of PMTFPS on the film surface and synergistic effect of both silicone and fluorine. Thus, the results show that the PMTFPS-b-polyacrylate copolymer can be used as icephobic coating materials potentially.