Methods of enhancing the anti-virus capabilities of surfaces directly contacted by humans. The methods include applying a hydrophobic coating material to a surface of an article to form a hydrophobic surface coating overlying the surface such that the hydrophobic surface coating defines a hydrophobic outer surface of the article. The hydrophobic outer surface is more hydrophobic than the surface of the article, and a liquid that contains suspended viruses and is deposited on the hydrophobic outer surface exhibits a contact angle relative to the hydrophobic outer surface that is greater than a contact angle of the liquid if directly deposited on the surface of the article, and the hydrophobic outer surface thereby increases inactivation of the viruses suspended in the liquid as compared to the surface of the article to which the hydrophobic coating material was applied.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a product, in particular, a coating material capable of preventing icing and/or snow accretion. This product includes a first oil component, a second oil component, and a first resin precursor, which is a precursor for a resin component. The first resin precursor including the first and second oil components is cured to form an oil-containing resin layer including the first and second oil components and the resin component. The second oil component constitutes a low-temperature phase-separable oil component that may be phase-separated from the first oil component to exude from the oil-containing resin layer when a temperature decreases to a predetermined value or lower.

Winter icing can adversely impact transportation systems (aircrafts, drones, trains, etc.), infrastructure, and energy systems, among many other things. Existing ice-shedding coatings generally suffer from low durability under various mechanical, chemical, and environmental stresses. The polyurethane-based, stress-localized ice-shedding coatings described herein present a novel material paradigm to develop highly durable ice-shedding coatings capable of withstanding harsh aerospace and other industrial conditions. By optimizing the chemical composition and processing of the coating, a uniform, highly durable, polyurethane-based ice-shedding coating has been achieved that can be applied to a variety of surfaces. These coatings have been comprehensively tested, including ice adhesion strength measurements, ice-shedding capabilities in an icing wind tunnel, and a set of mechanical, chemical and environmental durability tests. These ice-shedding surfaces promise a feasible approach to address long-standing icing problems in aircrafts, drones, off-shore wind-turbines and other types of equipment and infrastructure.

Durable superhydrophobic components have a superhydrophobic material disposed (e.g., disposed) thereon that exhibits an apparent advancing dynamic contact angle of ≥about 150° and a roll-off angle of about ≤15° for water after at least 100 abrasion cycles. The superhydrophobic material may comprise a low surface energy material and a polymeric material. The superhydrophobic material may be self-healing and capable of recovering its wettability after damage. In yet other aspects, a component comprises a surface that is superhydrophobic and reduces drag in turbulent flow conditions. The surface has an apparent advancing dynamic contact angle of ≥about 150° and a roll-off angle of ≤about 15° for water, and a product of dimensionless roughness (k.sup.+) and a higher-pressure contact angle hysteresis of less than or equal to about 5.8. Methods of making such materials are also provided.

Durable superhydrophobic components have a superhydrophobic material disposed (e.g., disposed) thereon that exhibits an apparent advancing dynamic contact angle of ≥about 150° and a roll-off angle of about ≤15° for water after at least 100 abrasion cycles. The superhydrophobic material may comprise a low surface energy material and a polymeric material. The superhydrophobic material may be self-healing and capable of recovering its wettability after damage. In yet other aspects, a component comprises a surface that is superhydrophobic and reduces drag in turbulent flow conditions. The surface has an apparent advancing dynamic contact angle of ≥about 150° and a roll-off angle of ≤about 15° for water, and a product of dimensionless roughness (k.sup.+) and a higher-pressure contact angle hysteresis of less than or equal to about 5.8. Methods of making such materials are also provided.

A perfluoro(poly)ether group containing silane compound represented by the formula (1a) or the formula (1b):
A-Rf—X—SiQ.sub.kY.sub.3-k  (1a)
Y.sub.3-kQ.sub.kSi—X—Rf—X—SiQ.sub.kY.sub.3-k  (1b)
as defined herein. Also disclosed is a process for producing the compound, a surface-treating agent containing the compound, a pellet containing the surface-treating agent and an optical member including a base material and a layer formed on a surface of the base material from the compound.

A film including: an organic polymeric substrate having a first major surface and a second major surface; an optional acrylic hardcoat layer disposed on the first major surface of the substrate; a siliceous primer layer disposed on the organic polymeric substrate or on the optional acrylic hardcoat layer, wherein the siliceous primer layer includes silica nanoparticles modified by an organic silane; and a superhydrophilic surface layer disposed on the siliceous primer layer, wherein the superhydrophilic surface layer includes hydrophilic-functional groups.

A mixed composition including an organosilicon compound (A) in which at least one trialkylsilyl group-containing molecular chain and at least one hydrolyzable group are bonded to a silicon atom, a metal compound (B), an acid (C), and water (D), in which a ratio [D/(A+B)] of a molar amount of the water (D) to a total molar amount of the organosilicon compound (A) and the metal compound (B) is 3.1 to 130.

A surface treatment composition including a perfluoropolyether group-containing silane compound and a solvent, wherein a proportion of the perfluoropolyether group-containing silane compound based on a total amount of the perfluoropolyether group-containing silane compound and the solvent is in the range from 30 to 99% by mass.

A fluoropolyether group-containing silane compound represented by the following formula (I): R.sup.F1—R.sup.4—(OR.sup.3).sub.m—R.sup.5—SiR.sup.1.sub.nR.sup.2.sub.3-n [wherein the symbols are as described in the specification]. Also disclosed is a surface-treating agent containing the silane compound; a pellet including the surface-treating agent; and an article including a substrate and a layer on a surface of the substrate, wherein the layer is formed of the silane compound or the surface-treating agent.