Icephobic Coatings to Reduce Ice Accretion on Composite Structures

The accretion of ice in arctic environments is an expensive problem for the power transmission and microwave industries; the military, whether on land, sea, or in the air; and airlines that operate in blizzard-like conditions. Traditional de-icing relies on physically breaking the ice or using chemicals to melt the accreted ice, which are only temporary solutions. Some coatings have been explored that attempt to prevent the formation of ice on a surface, but many of these are also temporary. TPL proposes a durable coating that will significantly delay the formation of ice on a variety of surfaces. The coating is a molecular combination of organic and inorganic constituents specifically designed to be durable and icephobic. The inorganic component will impart hardness and durability, while the organic part will impart flexibility and icephobicity. The wet-chemically derived coating is easy to apply and has excellent adhesion. Proposed coatings will be evaluated for icephobicity by the Army's Cold Region Research and Engineering Laboratory, which is well-known for their abilities in icing research. Mechanical properties will be tested by TPL, whose investigators have extensive experience and resources in wet-chemically derived coating technology.