A challenge for the energy, aeronautics, naval, rail and other industries is to avoid surfaces getting covered with dirt or ice.
When surfaces become covered with ice this may stop planes flying or lessen their aerodynamic efficiency and even cause accidents. Build-up of dirt is also a problem, for example, in ships, as it means increased friction with water, thus driving up fuel use. These same problems can also crop up in the energy industry where ice on a wind turbine could force it to shut down or even break its blades, for instance.
AIMPLAS has developed nanoparticle synthesis and functionalisation to provide a range of polymers with ultrahydrophobic properties and improved thermal conduction capacity. This generates coatings with advanced properties aimed at meeting these challenges.
The main competitive advantage of the coating developed by AIMPLAS is that in addition to being hydrophobic and stopping dirt, water, ice or snow building up on it, it can also be heated.
