Anti Ice Coating Developed at U of M

Researchers at the University of Michigan say they’ve come up with a new type of spray-on coating that repels ice coating.

They say it shows great promise on airplanes, wind turbines and oil rigs, not to mention car windshields. It’s promoted as a new alternative to chemical melting agents or labor-intensive scraping, which is both difficult and expensive.

Researcher Anish Tuteja says the new coating is made of a blend of common synthetic rubbers and it’s a departure from earlier coatings which focused on making surfaces either water-repellent or very slippery.

He says other benefits could include more efficient freezers, which currently rely on complex and energy-hungry defrosting systems to stay frost free.

The coating is detailed in the journal “Science Advances.”