Development and Feasibility Testing of novel icephobic Surface Technology for Mitigating Safety Risks of Commercial Fishing Vessels

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Project Summary/Abstract This project will develop a novel deicing technology for commercial fishing vessels operating in cold regions to mitigate the safety risks associated with various icing effects such as ice accretion, frozen latches, slippery deck areas, walkways, or ladders, which could cause slips, falls, or significant changes to the vessel’s stability. Based on more than ten years of research conducted by the project team, this new technology uses nanostructured icephobic surface treatments and will be adapted specially for its application to commercial fishing vessels, such as its durability and costs. The anti-icing performance will be tested and verified in a world-unique testing facility with well controlled ambient conditions. The laboratory-verified surface materials will be produced for a field trial on a commercial fishing vessel going for fishing activities in the winter. The surface materials will be evaluated at different locations onboard by comparing their anti-icing performances with those of the associated control areas. The project team will document the methodologies and results of the research in an ABS publication specific for the commercial fishing industry. The publication will stimulate interest of the industry in accepting effective deicing technologies as a future safety feature of commercial fishing vessels. The publication will also invite further discussions on the improvement of the icephobic surface technology developed in the present project.