Recent studies related to the application of superhydrophobic surfaces for anti-ice properties demonstrated that ice adhesion strength is reduced significantly compared to bare aluminum surfaces, but these surfaces lack durability. In this work, bottom up cost-effective and durable coatings were synthesized using silica nanoparticles for roughness control, flourosilane for hydrophobic chemistry, and three binding polymers: urethane acrylate, ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate, and epoxy. The polymer-to-silica nanoparticle ratio was studied to optimize coating's roughness for all the three polymers. The effect of substrate wetting on the superhydrophobic characteristics of the coatings was also investigated. Morphology was examined using scanning electron microscopy and contact profilometry, whereas durability was evaluated using the tape test (ASTM D3359). Wetting these novel coatings under freezing conditions for different periods of time exhibited measured contact angles of ＞ 160° and sliding angles of ＜ 1°, indicating that the coatings were icephobic.
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