Antifreeze Polysaccharide Coating Study for De-icing Aircraft

Anti-icing or deicing of an aircraft is necessary for a safe flight operation. Mechanical processes, such as heating and deicer boot, are widely used. Deicing fluids, such as propyrene glycol and ethylene glycol, are used to coat the aircraft. However, these should be coated every time before the take-off, since the fluids come off from the aircraft while cruising. We study an antifreeze polysaccharide (AFPS) coating as a deicer for an aircraft. It is designed to coat on the aircraft without removal. Since an AFPS coating removes ice by reducing the interfacial energy, it would be an alternative way to prevent ice on the aircraft. We provide a temperature-controlled room, which can control its temperature under icing conditions (-8 and -4 °C). Ice adhesion tests are performed for AFPS coating and compared with a fundamental specimen without the coating.