Winter has arrived in the northern hemisphere, and the demand for aircraft de-icing on the ground is high. Working Week meets Neal Wesley, senior development chemist at UK de-icing fluid manufacturer Kilfrost

Has aviation always interested you?

I have always been interested and as a child I was in the air cadets and would hang around airfields and even got to fly in RAF Chipmunks.

Have you worked in aviation before?

This is my first aviation-related job. I left school at 16 and joined Rolls-Royce as a power generation apprentice. But, with the nationalisation of the national grid the industry grew unstable. I began to study chemistry part time before switching to a full-time degree. I've not looked back. Having an early engineering background has been helpful because performance chemicals are used in all the engineering market sectors.

Do you have a typical day at Kilfrost?

The days vary. But we're following the projects and are committing ourselves to driving the technology forward. We're keen to stay one step ahead of the competition. Because of the nature of de-icing fluids, we do a lot of work in refrigerated areas and also have a windtunnel with a wing mock-up. These chemicals need to be tested in the environments that they'll be used in.

What about the challenges?

Type 2 and Type 4 de-icing fluids are very complex. It's a lot more than just mixing glycol with water. You have to make sure they have the right rheology properties. Initially we want the product to cling to the wing, but need to ensure it will come off the wing too during the take-off run. We are also further improving the environmental profile of our full product range.

 Neal-Wesley
© Xen Communications
Wesley: has been involved with two patented products at Kilfrost

What kind of developments are you working on right now?

In addition to the continuous development programme, we are working with sustainable raw materials. One of the most exciting of these is an eco-friendly glycol that will ensure our products are fully sustainable. That means incorporating a glycol that is derived from renewable sources.

Like our Type 1, if we can get this renewable glycol into Type 2 or Type 4 de-icers that will be an industry first. The chemical properties of renewable glycol are slightly different to standard glycols, and this does make them harder to formulate. Ultimately our goal is to have all our glycol from renewable sources and improve the industry's carbon footprint.

What do you love about your job?

When you succeed and create a product that has previously been deemed not possible. It is good when the performance of a product surpasses initial expectations. So far I have been involved in two patented products.

I love being able to look at new products, rather than monitoring existing processes. Because we're creating new products, we can go where we want with their development. For the future I hope to be able to pioneer novel products for new market areas.

How could someone get into this type of work?

There's something in chemistry for everyone. It's not just the boring subject at school that you thought it was. Chemistry can explain a lot about life science at the most fundamental level.

Anyone looking to work in research and development should consider looking at performance chemicals. Many people go into pharmaceuticals because the money is there for research and grants. But performance chemicals have as many opportunities.

Why is de-icing so important?

There are many people that do not understand the value of de-icing. A 1mm (0.04in) layer of ice on a wing can reduce lift by over 10%. That could be the difference between an aircraft taking off and not taking off.

Kilfrost pioneered this sector in the 1930s and we'll continue that innovation.

Source: Flight International

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