This paper presents a new type of poly(dimethylsiloxane)/modified nano-silica (PDMS/modified nano-silica) hybrid superhydrophobic coating to reduce ice accumulation on insulators. The PDMS/modified nano-silica hybrid coating and a room temperature vulcanized (RTV) silicone rubber coating were formed on glass insulators for ice accumulation experiments in the laboratory. The hydrophobicity of the two coatings was measured and compared. Average water contact angle on the PDMS/modified nano-silica hybrid coating reached 161 degrees. The microstructures and functional groups on the surfaces of both coatings were investigated using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, respectively. Analysis results show that both multi-scale microstructure and low surface energy contributed to the superhydrophobicity of the PDMS/modified nano-silica hybrid coating. Finally, experiments on ice accumulation on insulators were carried out to investigate the anti-icing properties of the PDMS/modified nano-silica hybrid coating on insulators. Significantly smaller rate of ice accumulation was observed for the insulators treated with the PDMS/modified nano-silica hybrid coating, relative to that treated with the RTV silicone rubber coating. (C) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2012