Superhydrophobic coatings for aeronautical applications

Traditional anti-icing/de-icing systems, i.e., thermal and pneumatic, in some cases cannot be employed since they require an additional power consumption not always allowable, most of all in small aircraft. In these cases, the use of passive systems, able to delay the ice formation, or reduce the ice adhesion strength with no additional energy consumption is the most promising solution against the ice formation. This paper deals with the development, characterization and application of a superhydrophobic coating applicable as a common paint on several kind of substrates, usually employed in the aeronautical industry, such as composite, metallic, or sandwich, aiming at guaranteeing the protection of several parts of common aircrafts. The developed superhydrophobic coating is able to reduce the surface free energy and the work of adhesion of the treated substrates, by more than 90%.