Three dimensional graphene foam reinforced composite coating and deicing systems therefrom

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10183754-B1
Application number	US-201715849020-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 20, 2017
Priority date	Dec 20, 2017
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

An efficient deicing system is a silicone-graphene foam composite connected to a source of electrical energy for current promoted heating of the silicone-graphene foam composite. The deicing system can be constructed by infusion and curing a silicone resin infused into the graphene foam attached to electrical contacts. The deicing system can be attached to surfaces of an aircraft for rapid deicing of the aircraft.

First claim

We claim:

1. A deicing system comprising a silicone-graphene foam composite connected to a source of electrical energy, wherein the graphene foam is continuous throughout the silicone-graphene composite and wherein the silicone-graphene foam composite is in the form of a free-standing system or a coating for a metal substrate.

2. The deicing system according to claim 1 , wherein the graphene foam comprises less than 2 percent by volume.

3. The deicing system according to claim 1 , wherein the graphene foam comprises at least 0.1 percent by volume.

4. The deicing system according to claim 1 , wherein the graphene foam is an interconnected graphene three-dimensional architecture with pore sizes of 100 to 300 μm in diameter.

5. The deicing system according to claim 1 , wherein the source of electrical energy provides a current of 0.8 A or less.

6. The deicing system according to claim 1 , wherein the source of electrical energy provides a current of 0.4 A or less.

7. The deicing system according to claim 1 , wherein the power density is 0.30 W·cm −2 or less.

8. The deicing system according to claim 1 , wherein the silicone of the silicone-graphene composite is the product of an addition cured polydimethylsiloxane resin.

9. The deicing system according to claim 1 , wherein the metal substrate is an aircraft component material.

10. A method of preparing a deicing system according to claim 1 , comprising:
providing a graphene foam;
attaching electrical contacts to the graphene foam;
providing a silicone resin:
infusing the silicone resin into and on the graphene foam to form a silicone infused graphene foam;
curing the silicone infused graphene foam to form a silicone-graphene foam composite;
applying the silicone-graphene foam composite to a metal substrate; and
connecting the electrical contacts to a source of electrical energy.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein curing is an addition curing.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein attaching is adhering with a silver paste.

13. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising surface treating the metal substrate.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the surface treating comprises grit blasting.

15. A method of deicing an aircraft, comprising applying an electrical current to an aircraft with a deicing system according to claim 1 attached to a portion of the external surface of the aircraft.

16. The method of claim 15 , where in the deicing system is a coating over the external surface of the aircraft.

Assignees

• Agarwal Arvind
• Boesl Benjamin
• Bustillos Jenniffer
• Zhang Cheng
• The Florida International Univ Board Of Trustees

Inventors

• Agarwal Arvind
• Boesl Benjamin
• Bustillos Jenniffer
• Zhang Cheng

Classifications

• B64D15/20 Primary

  Means for detecting icing or initiating de-icing · CPC title

• F03D80/40

  Ice detection; De-icing means · CPC title

• C08J9/35

  Composite foams, i.e. continuous macromolecular foams containing discontinuous cellular particles or fragments · CPC title

• B64D2033/0233

  comprising de-icing means · CPC title

• C01B32/182

  Graphene · CPC title