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Grant to Fund Research on Ice-Resistant Coatings

Ice forming on aircraft wing (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research)

Ice forming on aircraft wing (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research)

University of Illinois at Chicago engineering professor Constantine Megaridis recently received a $320,000 National Science Foundation grant to investigate coatings that can resist the build up of ice. Megaridis’s research is expected to continue his previous research on coatings that are both superhydrophobic — have the ability to repel water — and self-cleaning.

At UIC, the Micro/Nanoscale Fluid Transport Laboratory team headed by Megaridis will research coatings with tunable properties such as controlled micro-to-nanoscale textures that exhibit what he calls “icephobic behavior.” They plan to begin with superhydrophobicity and self-cleaning properties, with the goal of developing and testing surface coatings that both shed water and conduct electricity.

Adding an electric current will warm the coating’s surface, which can add a lubricant in the form of thin layer of unfrozen water to the surface. That thin layer of water helps any built-up ice slip off, plus the heat generated on the surface can slow the build up of ice later on.

The lab also plans to learn more about the behavior of water on various coatings to better understand how to make these surfaces improve water beading and roll-off. The shape of the water bead and inclination of a surface for water to roll off are considered key properties defining surface phobicity, or surface energy — the affinity between a solid and liquid.

One potential application for the research is the ice build-up on wind turbine blades.  “When ice deposits on turbine blades, it can rob a big portion of the turbine’s output,” Megaridis says. “Aircraft wing icing is another long-term problem we’d like to work on.”

Part of the NSF grant will support science teachers at Chicago’s Benito Juarez Community Academy, a high school near the UIC campus. Select students who hope to successfully compete in upcoming science fairs will be given the opportunity to work with UIC students in Megaridis’s lab to learn more about scientific career opportunities and the discipline it takes to become a scientist.

Read more: University, Company Develop Nanotech Conducting Polymer Film

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