Testing of Elastomer Icephobic Coatings in the AIWT: Lessons Learned

Features
Event
International Conference on Icing of Aircraft, Engines, and Structures
Authors Abstract
Content
A study has been conducted into icephobic properties of some highly durable “off-the-shelf” elastomer materials using a rotating ice adhesion test rig installed in the NRC’s Altitude Icing Wind Tunnel. This enabled the formation of ice at environmental conditions similar to those experienced during in-flight icing encounters. Initially, the tests indicated some very positive results with ice adhesion shear stress as low as 8KPa. On further examination, however, it became apparent that the test preparation process, in which the samples were cleaned with an ethanol alcohol solution, influenced the results due to absorption and prolonged retention of the cleaning fluid. The uptake of the ethanol alcohol solution by the elastomer was found to be a function of the surface temperature and remained absorbed into the coating during the ice accretion process changing the characteristics of the coating in such a way that led to a reduction in the ice/surface bond strength.
Meta TagsDetails
DOI
https://doi.org/10.4271/2019-01-1994
Pages
7
Citation
Orchard, D., Chevrette, G., Maillard, D., and Khoun, L., "Testing of Elastomer Icephobic Coatings in the AIWT: Lessons Learned," SAE Int. J. Adv. & Curr. Prac. in Mobility 2(1):238-244, 2020, https://doi.org/10.4271/2019-01-1994.
Additional Details
Publisher
Published
Jun 10, 2019
Product Code
2019-01-1994
Content Type
Journal Article
Language
English