Effect of Various Surface Coatings on De-Icing/Anti-Icing Fluids Aerodynamic and Endurance Time Performances

The Anti-icing Materials International Laboratory (AMIL) has been testing SAE AMS1424 and AMS1428 ground de-icing/anti-icing fluids for more than 30 years. With the introduction of new surface coatings and their investigation as potential passive ice protection systems, or for hybrid use with other methods, it is important to understand their interaction with the ground de-icing/anti-icing fluids prior to applications on aircraft. In this study, five different surface coatings, both commercially available and under development, have been tested under two current test methods used to qualify the ground de-icing/anti-icing fluids: The Water Spray Endurance Test (WSET) and the Aerodynamic Acceptance Test (AAT). The tests were performed on three existing commercial de-icing/anti-icing fluids. The results have shown that the coatings tested in this study can considerably reduce the endurance time of the fluids and affect their ability to spread and wet the test surface. Superhydrophobic 1 coating also reduced the aerodynamic penalties created by the Ref. Fluid. Surface coatings, no matter their nature, can impact the performances and behaviour of the fluids and should be thoroughly tested before their use in the industry. The conclusions and methodology of this study were used in the development of sections of the SAE AIR6232 Aircraft Surface Coating Interaction with the Aircraft Deicing/Anti-Icing Fluids standard.

Abstract licence: CC BY

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