An ice repellent capable of preventing windshields and other surfaces from freezing developed by researchers from the University of Michigan, could soon have a wide-ranging impact on consumer products. The substance can be sprayed on, creating a surface on which ice cannot form.
Automobile windshields could be coated with the substance, keeping vision clear for the driver, even during the coldest months of a frigid winter. The clear, inexpensive spray coating could also be applied to aircraft wings, power lines, and other commercial equipment where ice buildup can present a significant hazard.
Currently, removing ice involves arduous scraping and chemical melting agents, activities which can present significant costs in time and money in commercial applications. Using the new coating, which feels slightly like rubber when dry, ice either falls off a surface, or the buildup can be removed by a force equal to a gentle breeze.
Previously, researchers investigating development of similar coatings had assumed they needed to use materials which repel water. However, the team who created this coating found the rubber-like nature of the substance played a critical role in freeing ice. Investigators found rigid surfaces, such as car windshields, forms tight bonds with ice, making it difficult to break free.
"Researchers had been trying for years to dial down ice adhesion strength with chemistry, making more and more water-repellent surfaces. We've discovered a new knob to turn, using physics to change the mechanics of how ice breaks free from a surface," Kevin Golovin of the University of Michigan said.
Frost-free freezers rely on expensive energy-consuming defrosting systems to eliminate ice buildup on their walls. Application of this new coating to the walls of the freezers will accomplish the same task without energy or moving parts.
Blackouts are frequently the result of ice buildup on power lines, breaking the wires between poles. This presents dangers from the live broken wire, as well as risks and hazards related to a lack of electricity.
The new coating can also be fine-tuned for different applications and uses, researchers stated. Frost-free freezers may use a variety that allows ice to chip easily, while a coating for aircraft could be tweaked for additional durability.
Development of the new ice-repellent was detailed in the journal Science Advances.
Image: Costel Slincu | Flickr
