Graphene-based surface heater for de-icing applications

Abstract

Graphene-based de-icing composites are of great interest due to incredible thermal, electrical and mechanical properties of graphene. Moreover, current technologies possess a number of challenges such as expensive, high power consumption, limited life time and adding extra weight to the composites. Here, we report a scalable process of making highly conductive graphene-based glass fibre rovings for de-icing applications. We also use a scalable process of making graphene-based conductive ink by microfluidic exfoliation technique. The glass fibre roving is then coated with graphene-based conductive inks using a dip-dry-cure technique which could potentially be scaled up into an industrial manufacturing unit. The graphene-coated glass roving demonstrates lower electrical resistances (∼1.7 Ω cm⁻¹) and can heat up rapidly to a required temperature. We integrate these graphene-coated glass rovings into a vacuum-infused epoxy–glass fabric composite and also demonstrate the potential use of as prepared graphene-based composites for de-icing applications.