Study on the low Curie point positive temperature coefficient (PTC) material based on the conductive model

PTC material is a positive temperature coefficient heat-sensitive material, and when used as a heating element for electrothermal anti-icing, it exhibits adaptive temperature control. This paper aims to establish and experimentally verify a conductive model for the low Curie point PTC material based on the distribution and blending characteristics of HTPDMS, PDMS, n-tetradecane and acetylene black. Additionally, various mass proportions of the low Curie point PTC materials in the conductive region are prepared and analyzed to understand their PTC effects. Finally, the feasibility of employing the low Curie point PTC material for electrothermal anti-icing is verified through anti-icing experiment. The results demonstrate that the resistivity of the materials with different mass proportions in the seepage and conductive regions conforms to the conductive model proposed in this study. Specifically, when the mass proportion of n-tetradecane/HTPDMS is 1:1, and the mass proportion of PDMS/HTPDMS is 1:2, the low Curie point PTC material exhibits a Curie temperature of 1 °C, with a low-temperature resistivity of only 5.37 Ω cm and a PTC intensity of 2.99. Notably, after subjecting the material to 100 thermal cycle experiments, there is no significant change in the Curie temperature point. The low-temperature resistivity slightly increases, while the PTC intensity declines marginally, and no obvious negative temperature coefficient (NTC) effect is observed, confirming the material's excellent stability. The findings of this study contribute to the understanding of the low Curie point PTC anti-icing materials and lay a solid foundation for their future application in anti-icing systems for fans, airplanes, and various surfaces.