OPENSPACE 24: The Future of Space Exploration | Page 13

The Ice-Phobic Coating
When ice forms on jet engines and wind turbine blades,
it can have devastating consequences, yet removing ice
from such structures can be difficult and costly. Recently,
the aviation industry, more so in military applications,
has adopted aftermarket coatings to help mitigate the
accretion of ice, thus minimizing the potential damage
to engines.
These products can come in a variety of
chemical formulations—from paint or spray to wax-based
applications—and can be highly formulated for specific
applications.
There has also been interest in developing prototypes of
coatings for protecting aircraft wings to help with ground
icing protection. The end goal of the prototypes is eliminating
the use of de-icing fluids. Initial developments have proved
to delay the onset of ice; however, further research and
testing are needed because these coats wear out after use
and cannot indefinitely prevent ice from forming.
The aviation industry has adopted
aftermarket coatings to help
mitigate the accretion of ice, thus
minimizing the potential damage to
engines.
Nanotechnology has been rapidly evolving, with uses
in electronics, housing, and automotive products. The
aviation industry is now using it to understand and exploit
hydrophobic and electrothermal materials in an attempt
to make surfaces resistant to atmospheric icing—ice that
forms at certain altitudes or on the ground in cold weather
climates. New promising formulations in development are
using this combination, which seems to provide a better
solution.
“Current materials in development are looking to combine
electrothermal nanotechnology with ice-phobic or ice-
release coatings to provide a solution that can overcome
the shortcomings of coatings alone and potentially eliminate
the need for de-icing fluids altogether,” said D’Avirro.
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