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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Coatings to Prevent Snow and Ice Buildup
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Q. I was writing to inquire about coating that could potentially be used on fan blades to prevent ice build up on the blades.
I work for a company which manufactures fan blades for the HVAC industry. We have a problem with fan blades applied in heat pump applications during winter months. Ice and snow build up on the aluminum blades causing the fan to become unbalanced which causes vibration and sometimes failure. I was looking for some type of coating that would prevent this from occurring by preventing water and ice from sticking to the blade. Does anyone have any suggestions. These fans need to sell in the $5-$20 range so it cannot be too exotic.
Thanks for your help,
- Carpentersville, Illinois, USA
2002
A. An electroless nickel Teflon co-deposit would make the blades hydrophobic. The surface will not wet therefore ice will not stick. This deposit also works well in ice machines. Avoid anodized with Teflon or electroless nickel with a Teflon dip they are not durable finishes as far as the Teflon is concerned. The price will be a little more than you are expecting. But then people are expecting their heat pumps to work in the winter.
Todd Osmolski- Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
A. Dear Sir,
For over 3 years I have been testing a new nano-coating from Germany called Permanon, a micro-thin clear coating that produces a super water repellent surface.
Contact angle measurements can exceed 150 degrees. I have found that it dramatically reduces the build up of ice, snow, dirt, and grime on factory applied coatings. I have been marketing it for the Farming Industry where the complexity of modern farm equipment prevents the use of traditional automotive waxes and polishes. It can be spray applied, and since electrostatic attraction is the sole bonding mechanism, material build up is not a concern.
Jim Deardorff
- Chillicothe, Missouri, USA
January 7, 2013
Ed. note -- Gentle Readers, please restrict suggestions to technologies and approaches rather than recommending brands or sources ( huh? why?)
Thanks for the information I'll try this on my application.
- Ypsilanti Michigan
October 4, 2022
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