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For further information please see our anti-icing research section:

Functional Coatings

Reducing ice adhesion to prevent dangerous ice formation

Coating Development

Passive anti-icing coatings, lower the adhesion of ice to the surface to prevent icing or to support active de-icing and anti-icing systems. In the latter case, the power consumption of the active systems can be reduced. The research of AAC focuses on several paths to reach this goal: lowering the surface energy, formation of a slippery surface (SLIPS) and patterning of surfaces. By this methods, ice adhesion forces lower than 100kPa were already achieved and successfully tested in an icing wind tunnel environment.
Secondly, AAC has developed a conductive coating material for electrothermal heating of aircraft or windmill leading edges. This heating varnish can be applied onto 3D surfaces. Together with the passive coating, this forms a synergetic system.

Coating Characterisation

To qualify the coatings, AAC additionally conducts material characterisation. AAC offers a wide spectrum of test facilities for material development and characterization of high standard, some of them regarded as rare and in specific aspects unique. The AAC specializes in the following fields:

  • Rapid measurement of ice adhesion shear force on AAC lab test rig
  • Determination of water contact angle, roll-off angle and surface energy
  • Determination of adhesion to substrate (cross cut. ISO 2409)
  • Scratch resistance (ISO 1518)
  • Layer thickness
  • Flexibility (ISO 1519)
  • Environmental testing and weathering:
    • QUV test
    • Xenon test
    • Thermal cycling
  • Immersion into typical aviation liquids:
    • Hydraulic fluids
    • Solvents
    • De-Icing liquids
    • Water
    • Aqueous cleaners

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