Assessment of Icephobic Coatings—How Can We Monitor Performance Durability?

Nadine Rehfeld,Claus Schreiner,Volkmar Stenzel,Björn Speckmann

doi:10.3390/coatings11060614

Nadine Rehfeld, Claus Schreiner + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11060614

Copy DOI

Abstract

Significant progress in the field of icephobic coatings has raised a demand for evaluation criteria to assess and monitor the related icephobic effects and their durability. The initial coating performance in preventing ice formation and reducing ice adhesion needs to be proven over a given period by withstanding technically relevant stressors. In this study, silanized polyurethane (PUR) coatings are assessed in conjunction with a standardized accelerated ultraviolet (UV)-ageing procedure in order to identify potential monitoring tools that are also applicable during in-service inspections. Wettability and roughness parameters are recorded after pre-defined ageing intervals, compared with the ice adhesion strength, and tested using a modified centrifuge. Correlation assessments indicate that the chosen parameters cannot generally be used for the monitoring of icephobic effects for the selected material class. It is more likely that specific coating parameter sets need to be defined for in-service monitoring, as an important step towards the integration of icephobic coatings into technical applications.

Highlights

Significant progress in the field of icephobic coatings has raised a demand for evaluation criteria to assess and monitor the related icephobic effects and their durability
The test results this study present theh,change in surface due to ageing compared with the results of ice adhesion tests, in order to assess their influence on the processes caused by UV exposure after 200 h, 500 h, and 1000 h
The identified correlations may, be used for the definition of compared with the results of ice adhesion tests, in order to assess their influence on the assessment rules and advanced test campaigns, in order to pave the way for an improved icephobic performance

Summary

Introduction

Significant progress in the field of icephobic coatings has raised a demand for evaluation criteria to assess and monitor the related icephobic effects and their durability. Icephobic coatings can be defined as materials that hinder ice from forming on surfaces and/or reduce the adhesion of ice to surfaces. Their benefits have been widely discussed [1,2,3,4,5,6]. One of the main problems is that projects could address, in many cases, only a certain few of the various challenges; the inherent complexity has prevented the completion of their developments and integration into technical applications. This paper delivers the results of an industry-driven durability study for icephobic coatings, including the assessment of the wettability and roughness surface properties as potential monitoring parameters for icephobic effects. Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion