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Two commercial hydrophobic coatings: StaClean™ with a water droplet contact angle of 101° and Wearlon® Super F1-Ice with a contact angle of 115° and one superhydrophobic coating: HIREC 1450 with a contact angle of 152° were studied combined with a thermoelectric anti-icing system under icing conditions. All coatings and the reference surface were tested under glaze and rime ice. The deicing tests were conducted in the Anti-icing Materials International Laboratory's (AMIL) low speed closed loop Icing Wind Tunnel with 0.4 g/m₃ liquid water content, a 26.7 ± 2.6 μm water droplet median volumetric diameter, 21 ± 0.5 m/s air speed and temperatures of -5 and -20 ± 0.5°C. For these tests, a 4\mi chord NACA 63-415 airfoil 2D blade box-section of 10\mi covered with a thin aluminum sheet protected at the leading edge and on the bottom by a thermoelectric anti-icing system composed of two 1/2\mi x 10\mi heating elements with a power density of 40 W/in₂, was used.

Ice adhesion on critical aircraft surfaces is a serious potential hazard that runs the risk of causing accidents. For this reason aircraft are equipped with active ice protection systems (AIPS). AIPS increase fuel consumption and add complexity to the aircraft systems. Reducing energy consumption of the AIPS or replacing the AIPS by a Passive Ice Protection System (PIPS), could significantly reduce aircraft fuel consumption. New coatings with superhydrophobic properties have been developed to reduce water adherence to surfaces. Superhydrophobic coatings can also reduce ice adhesion on surfaces and are used as icephobic coatings. The question is whether superhydrophobic or icephobic coatings would be able to reduce the cost associated with AIPS.