Superhydrophobic Aircraft Paint/Coatings

[aeroengine1]

Hi everyone,

I am currently reseaerching new ways to counter aircraft icing by way of using superhydrophobe's either mixed in with the paint or used as a top coating after production.
I was just wondering whether either solutions would be viable and if so, how would I be able to create said paint's/coatiings?

Thanks!

 

[Demon3]

We tried this when I was at Electrolux (world's largest household appliance manufacturer, not the tiny vacuum cleaner company Americans think of when they hear that name).

Turns out such coatings do not repel ice. Quite the reverse, there was superb adhesion when we froze water on such coatings.

Chris DeArmitt - PhD FRSC CChem

 

[IRstuff]

No, they're not. Otherwise, all the airlines and aircraft manufacturers would be all over it. The issue is that your plane can ice up during taxiing, and there is nothing that will prevent ice build-up, and the ice cannot be removed until there's sufficient force applied, which won't happen until you get into the air, which won't happen with ice on your wings. If you do a search here, you'll see the identical question asked about 3 yrs ago; thread334-270992

TTFN
faq731-376

Need help writing a question or understanding a reply? forum1529

 

[aeroengine1]

Thanks guys! Your help is much appriciated! The idea was only there as, like most people who have thought of this, was to repel the water from the fusealage and wing areas therefore there whould have been no water to freeze. While I am aware how farfetched thaty seems, I thought I would investigate anyway.

Thanks again!

 

[IRstuff]

"was to repel the water from the fusealage and wing areas therefore there whould have been no water to freeze. "

I think this is just incomplete thinking. Most aircraft surfaces do not adsorb water, and if it were cold enough to freeze the water already there, which isn't much, any additional precipitation would be in the form of ice or snow, which would stick, regardless. I think that careful thinking would conclude that surface hydrophobicity is irrelevant, since in the two cases of critical concern, pre-takeoff, and in-flight, the issue is ice build-up from semi-frozen or frozen water, not from the freezing of liquid water.

TTFN
faq731-376

Need help writing a question or understanding a reply? forum1529

 

[Demon3]

If rain were to fall on such a surface it would indeed roll off. However, at freezing temperatures it would be snow falling and not rain. That could be where the problem is.

Chris DeArmitt - PhD FRSC CChem