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Environmental Impact and Life Cycle Cost Analysis of Superhydrophobic Coatings for Anti-Icing Applications
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Researchers performed a life cycle assessment comparing bare aluminum surfaces to polyurethane elastomer superhydrophobic coatings for anti-icing applications and found the coated system reduced total environmental impact across all measured categories while also proving more cost-effective. The study highlights opportunities to further reduce impacts by substituting bio-based, less toxic materials in the coating formulation.
Superhydrophobic coatings have great potential to mitigate ice accumulation and ice adhesion issues due to their outstanding water-repellent and self-cleaning characteristics. In the present study, polyurethane elastomer (PUE) is considered a superhydrophobic coating material for anti-icing applications. The life cycle assessment (LCA) of bare aluminum and PUE-coated systems is performed using the Centrum voor Milieukunde Leiden methodology. The cradle-to-gate LCA scope is implemented to evaluate and compare the total environmental impact. This study revealed that the PUE-coated system exhibited a significant reduction in total environmental impact compared to bare aluminum. The levelized cost of coating analysis demonstrates that the PUE coating system is more economical than bare aluminum surfaces. There is scope to reduce the environmental impact associated with PUE-coated systems using bio-based and less toxic chemicals/solvents.
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This review provides the first integrated assessment of microalgae-derived protective coatings for infrastructure, evaluating key biopolymers like alginate and extracellular polymeric substances for adhesion, UV stability, and corrosion resistance, and proposes that bio-based coatings could replace petroleum-derived alternatives while sequestering CO2 and degrading environmental pollutants.
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Researchers developed a durable superhydrophobic (water-repelling) coating on aluminum that can efficiently capture and remove microplastic particles from water. The coating attracted microplastics at high removal rates and remained effective over multiple use cycles. This type of material could be incorporated into water treatment systems or filtration devices to reduce microplastic contamination in drinking water and wastewater.
Nanoplastics Distribution during Ice Formation: Insights into Natural Surface Water Freezing Conditions
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Laboratory experiments simulating natural surface water freezing found that nanoplastics were excluded from forming ice and concentrated in unfrozen water regions, with a new local distribution coefficient developed to better characterize nanoplastic behavior during freeze-thaw cycles.
A robust and anticorrosion non-fluorinated superhydrophobic aluminium surface for microplastic removal
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.