Improved safety and efficiency in O&G operations by developing superhydrophobic nanotechnology for passive anti-icing protection.

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The overall objective is to avoid shutdowns of offshore projects and operations due to icing and to improve safety for offshore personell. Super-hydrophobic (SH) materials have attracted scientific attention over the last decade because of their unique pr operty to repel water. SH surfaces are highly hydrophobic, i.e., extremely difficult to wet. SH surfaces are obtained by the combined use of surface chemistry to introduce non-polar groups at the interface and surface topography to create a rough surface texture, which together minimizes the water affinity to the surface and traps air pockets within the surface texture. Water droplets that impinge on super hydrophobic surfaces will remain as separate drops and easily roll off the surface by external forc es caused by e.g. wind. If the surface coating is prepared with optimized surface roughness it will prevent condensation. There are few commercially available products with high durability, however the latest research has shown very promising results and represents a good baseline for further R&D and Innovation. Two of the R&D institutions in forefront when it comes SH are The USA Department of Energy?s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee and the other is YKI, Institute of Surface Chemistry, Stockholm, Sweden. Researchers at the Department of Energy?s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee have developed super-hydrophobic coatings with remarkable anti-icing properties. This project will combine the leading in stitutions within nanotech and surface chemistry when it comes to super hydrophobic coatings and anti-icing functionality. In the presence of demanding customers as Statoil and Gassco the project aims to deliver necessary documentation for industrializati on of a cost effective and durable anti icing coating by a commercial manufacturer.