Letter 15973

Coating to Prevent Snow and Ice Buildup  

++

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 can not be too exotic.

Thanks for your help,

Richard Hext
- Carpentersville, IL, USA

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 Plating, Inc. Charlotte, NC USA

Post a question on a different subject.

 

Answer or follow-up on this subject (in non-commercial fashion).