Graphene-Based Coating Could Act As a Real-time De-Icer For Aircraft (rice.edu)

hypnosec writes: Researchers have developed a graphene-based coating they have proved effective at melting ice from a helicopter blade, paving the way for a real-time de-icer. The thin coating of graphene nanoribbons in epoxy has been developed by researchers at Rice University. In their tests, researchers show the coating is capable of melting centimeter-thick ice from a static helicopter rotor blade in a -4 degree Fahrenheit environment. A small voltage was applied to the coating that delivered electrothermal heat — called Joule heating — to the surface, which melted the ice.