University of Illinois Chicago Scientists Develop Environmentally Safe, Frost-resistant Coatings

Glycols dissolve very fast in the water and get washed away before the plane takes off, and it’s a serious problem that costs hundreds of millions of dollars — most of which literally ends up in the drain. The University of Illinois Chicago scientists thought, why not improve such chemicals themselves, and make alternatives that can last longer while being more biofriendly. And that is what they ended up doing.

The new coatings are an all-in-one package that can delay the formation of frost for extended hours and simultaneously cause any ice formed on its surface to easily be shed off by a gentle breeze or simple substrate tilting.

The coatings are a family of phase change material-based formulations and multifunctional coatings which can tailor solid foulant adhesion on functional surfaces, ranging from ice to bacteria, irrespective of their inherent material structure and chemistry. This was engineered by regulating how chemicals leach out of the material system and by creating a lubricating surface layer that is both slippery and non-freezing in nature.

“Since our anti-icing sprays are bio-friendly and anti-bacterial, we even think there is a potential to use them in agriculture to prevent crops from being ruined by severe frost,” Sushant Anand said. “But that is a pipe dream, and we need to do more studies to see if there will be any long-term adverse effect on the plants.”

A worldwide patent application titled “Compositions and Methods for Inhibiting Ice Formation on Surfaces” has been filed by UIC’s Office of Technology Management.

Scientists develop environmentally safe, frost-resistant coatings