Constellation, le dépôt institutionnel de l'Université du Québec à Chicoutimi

Résumé

Atmospheric ice that adheres to structures and accumulates is a critical issue in numerous northern areas. Even if different de-icing methods exist, they consume a great deal of energy or necessitate elaborate infrastructures. However, using coatings with icephobic properties could be the “miracle” solution. This chapter proposes a complete definition of icephobicity in line with the ice adhesion test methods used. The general way to assess this property is described using a holistic approach, the first step of which is a screening test campaign with many different candidate coatings evaluated in terms of their adhesion reduction factor (ARF). The relevance of this factor is also discussed. Further tests are recommended, after the better candidate coatings are identified, in an extensive test campaign performed under simulated icing and outdoor conditions prevailing in the real environment of the targeted application. Finally, a specific example of a test campaign in which the icephobic coatings are exposed to Arctic offshore conditions is presented.