ISOS: Multi-functional icephobic, robust, lightweight and transparent coatings for windows and lenses
Ice on windows/lens surfaces cause operational difficulties in optical sensors and windshields. The aim of this project is to develop a passive, environmentally friendly method to prevent or delay ice formation without the application of energy while preserving the surface optical properties.
Hovedinnhold
This solution overcomes the limits of the active methods currently employed that are costly, energy consuming, environmentally harmful and dangerous for lens/window integrity. Two families of innovative materials (functionalized graphene and selflubricating liquid water layer) will be synthesised, characterised, and tested at lab level for multifunctional coatings (TRL4), with icephobic, robust, lightweight and transparent properties. The proposed approach is flexible, cost-effective and scalable in production, allowing a fast integration at industrial scale. The performances of the coatings for industrial application in the optical sensor market sector will be assessed and validated with the industrial advisory board. The project takes its onset in ideas dating back to the end of 2017.
Contact: Project Coordinator Bodil Holst
Partners
The University of Bergen (UiB), Department of Physics, Nanophysics Group
UiB was funded in 1946 and is the third largest University in Norway with 14500 students. The Department of Physics has 66 staff members of which 33 are scientific staff. The department educates annually about 45 Master's students and 15 Ph.D. students. The UiB Nanophysics group has extensive experience in nanostructuring and microstructuring with electron beam and photolithography. In 2019 the group published the first paper presenting experimental results on the anti-icing properties of graphene and functionalised graphene in the journal Carbon together with partner UAM.
UiB will coordinate the project, do the micro/nano structuring of the optical surfaces, perform the graphene functionalization and test all the different type of surfaces for structural and icephobic properties under controlled humidity and temperature conditions and be in charge of the field tests.
UAM was founded in 1968 and has about 30.000 students. It is one of the most prominent higher education institutions in Spain. UAM will be responsible for the preparation of graphene coated surfaces and measurements of thermal desorption energies of water and ice monolayers on the various surfaces using Helium atom scattering (HAS).
NORCE Norwegian Research Centre (CMR)
The Norwegian Research Centre Norce is a government-owned research institute and one of the largest research organisation in Norway. The vision is to conduct research for industrial development, offering clients analyses of complex issues, as well as solutions, through prototypes and demonstrators, placing Norce in the intersection between research and industry. Norce has extensive experience in the development of marine measurement platforms, including optical measurements. Norce has a very extensive network of industrial contacts.
Norce is responsible for characterization of anti-icing performance of the window surfaces using a Norce-built facility with the ability to simulate application-realistic conditions (e.g. temperature and humidity gradients, salt-water sprays, chemical/dirt contamination), and capture high-resolution optical images of the windows in situ during experiments. In addition, Norce will have the responsibility for the industrial dissemination of the project results.
This project is funded by the Research Council of Norway and MINECO through the M.ear.Net program.
