TAGS: Aerospace Coatings Industrial Coatings
Adaptive Surface Technologies, Inc. (AST) has been awarded a $499,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract from the United States Airforce (USAF) to develop an icephobic coating that improves pre-flight and in-flight anti-icing properties on military aircraft and avionics. The contract, awarded through the USAF's AFWERX program, will build upon AST's successful SBIR Phase I Feasibility Study results.
Solve Challenges Related to Military and Commercial Aircraft Icing Mitigation
Ice accumulation in aviation continues to be an unsolved and highly costly issue, both in terms of human toll and dollars spent on mitigation for manned and unmanned aircraft. The intrinsically icephobic coating system, based from AST's existing technology, can solve many of the challenges related to military and commercial aircraft icing mitigation.
The development of a new coating for the USAF will be based on AST's existing antifouling marine coating that was commercially launched in 2019. SLIPS® Foul Protect® marine coating reduces the adhesion and persistence of unwanted biological fouling on any given surface. Modifications to the chemical makeup of the coating will be made to optimize its properties for ice-repellency and durability.
By combining a mechanically durable and low surface energy binder system with AST's patented self-stratifying Active Performance Ingredients (API) packages, a robust coating system with strong repellent functions (anti-ice, low adhesion, non-fouling) can be realized while maintaining superior mechanical durability.
In addition to the savings the novel coating can bring, existing ice de-icing strategies are very environmentally challenging. AST's common approach across all market sectors is to deliver economic benefit along with environmental advantages.
Source: Adaptive Surface Technologies