Ice formation on aircraft is one of the main challenges in aviation, for both safety and operational efficiency. Ice building up on critical surfaces such as the wings or stabilizers can cause a significant loss of lift and an increase in aerodynamic drag, compromising performance and increasing fuel consumption.
The limits of today’s systems
Current ice protection systems (IPS) used in aeronautics have a number of limitations. Technologies such as hot air bled from the engines, pneumatic systems and conventional electrothermal systems involve high energy consumption, added weight and complex integration. Many of these solutions are also difficult to control or offer limited efficiency under certain flight conditions.
Against this backdrop, there is a need for new solutions that improve flight safety while reducing energy consumption and the sector’s environmental impact. One of the most promising alternatives is a functional coating with a heating capability.
A coating that generates heat
The COAT-IPS project follows this approach, aiming to develop a low-energy heated coating that can operate in both anti-icing mode (preventing ice from forming) and de-icing mode (removing ice that has already formed). The coating is conceived as a technical paint applied directly to the aircraft surface – a significant advantage over more complex systems.
These coatings work on the Joule effect, in which electrical energy is converted into heat as an electric current flows through a conductive material. That requires formulations incorporating conductive materials that reach the necessary conductivity without compromising the coating’s other properties.
Getting the dispersion right
One of the main challenges is ensuring the conductive fillers are properly dispersed within the polymer matrix, which guarantees a stable formulation and uniform heating. Poor distribution can lead to efficiency losses or system failures, so formulation design and control of the dispersion process are critical to the technology’s success.
In operation, the COAT-IPS coating is designed to reach moderate temperatures in anti-icing mode, keeping the surface above 32°F (0°C) to prevent ice forming, and higher temperatures in de-icing mode, so accumulated ice melts rapidly. This is achieved with short response times and optimized energy consumption.
The advantages of a paint
From an application standpoint, one of the main advantages is that the solution is a paint. That lets it be integrated easily into standard aeronautical manufacturing and maintenance processes without additional infrastructure. Because it can be applied to complex surfaces, it can also be used on different parts of the aircraft, including hard-to-reach areas.
Another important advantage is the ability to repair it in situ. If damaged, the coating can be replaced locally through simple steps such as sanding and reapplying the paint, avoiding the need to replace entire systems. That reduces maintenance costs and increases aircraft availability.
The coating’s light weight also helps reduce the total weight of the ice protection system, directly improving fuel efficiency. That is especially relevant in a sector seeking to cut its carbon footprint and move toward more sustainable mobility.
This kind of solution applies not only to commercial aircraft but also to uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other sectors where ice is a problem, such as wind energy.
A collaborative project
COAT-IPS is being carried out through a collaboration between OMAR Coatings, AIMPLAS and INTA, combining expertise in coating formulation, advanced materials development and validation under aeronautical conditions. This makes it possible to take the development from laboratory scale through to validation in environments representative of real-world use, including testing in icing wind tunnels.
At AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, several lines of research are under way in functional coatings and energy-efficient technologies, aimed at the current challenges facing the mobility sector. In this context, COAT-IPS represents a significant step toward more efficient, lightweight and sustainable ice protection systems.
The COAT-IPS project is funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through the State Research Agency (AEI) Public-Private Collaboration call, and co-funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). This publication is part of R&D&I project CPP2022-010107, funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR.
