Ice formation on propeller blades or aircraft wings can cause major problems. It can limit flight time, increase costs and pose safety and environmental risks.
That is why researchers at SINTEF have developed a new coating material that makes ice removal both more efficient and cheaper—without harming the environment.

Today, ice is usually removed using electrical heating, either with permanent heating systems in the rotor blades, or by temporarily applying chemical de-icing agents. The challenge is that these methods do not provide sufficient protection against the formation of new ice. As a result, they have to be repeated several times, leading to high maintenance costs.

The industry is therefore eyeing the new anti-icing method that SINTEF is developing, according to researcher Christian Karl, who is part of the research team on the project called IceMan. "This is a more effective and long-lasting method for removing ice on technical surfaces. We're seeing that more and more industrial sectors, like wind energy, aerospace, automotive and marine technology, have turned their attention to our solution."

The coating is based on polyurethane, a type of polymer material, and can be sprayed or brushed directly onto the surfaces, giving them ice-repellent properties and slowing down ice formation. The study is published in the Journal of Nanoparticle Research.

"In practice, this will mean that supercooled water droplets that land on the rotor blades won't be able to freeze onto the surface. The water will bead up and roll off the surface before it has time to freeze. If, contrary to expectations, it remains there, it will adhere less well and be easier to remove," says the SINTEF researcher.

Research colleague Monika Pilz led the project. She says that the additives are environmentally friendly and are made in such a way that they can easily be scaled up and used in industry settings.