An investigation into the anti-icing properties of fabrics used for the outer layer of firefighter clothing

The anti-icing properties of fabrics can be considered as involving two parts, the super-hydrophobic property and the ease of ice removal property. In this study, a super-hydrophobic surface was built on to the outer layer of firefighter clothing using nano-silica, C ₁₃ H ₁₃ F ₁₇ O ₃ Si, C ₁₉ H ₄₂ O ₃ Si and PU-2540 using a coating method. This coating stops water drops from staying on the fabric surface easily. At the same time, an ultra-smooth surface was built on to the super-hydrophobic surface already created on the fabric using perfluoropolyethers (PFPE) oil by a dipping method, which adds an ice removal function to the fabrics. The anti-icing properties of the samples prepared in the research described in this paper have been investigated using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ease of ice removal property tests and static water contact angle analysis. At the same time, the thermal protective performance (TPP) of the samples, before and after super-hydrophobic treatment, was studied by a TPP tester. Results show that the super-hydrophobic coating with an ultra-smooth surface can significantly increase the anti-icing properties of the fabrics used for the outer layer of firefighter clothing. C ₁₃ H ₁₃ F ₁₇ O ₃ Si and C ₁₉ H ₄₂ O ₃ Si can improve the hydrophobic properties of the coating. The anti-icing coating in this paper can increase the TPP of the fabrics.