International. Zentek, a graphene technology development and commercialization company, announces a collaboration with Pattern Energy Group to optimize, test and validate Zentek's icephobic coating for the wind turbine industry.
The partnership is financially supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and PRIMA Quebec - Advanced Materials Moving Forward.
Pattern Energy develops, builds, owns and operates wind turbines and understands the loss of efficiency and potential damage to the wind turbine itself and its surroundings that comes from ice accumulation in these structures.
Zentek's icephobic technology has already been shown to have a low ice adhesion force (IAS) between 20 and 40 kPa, as well as retention of its low IAS with a kPa between 30 and 45, after accelerated aging, suggesting durability in real environmental conditions.
In addition, it demonstrated its durability based on rain and sand erosion tests that would meet the requirements of the use of wind turbines.
As part of their collaboration, Zentek agreed to give Pattern Energy a priority position to purchase Zentek's icephobic coating if demand for the product exceeds supply.
The research will be led by Dr. Gelareh Momem at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi and the Université du Québec à Rimouski.
