The aim of the research for the three-year period is the development of snow and ice protection coatings for electrical network components, in particular conductors and guard wires. The widespread problem of snow sleeves and frozen concretions on network structures involving all cold regions is well known and already widely described. It causes costly failures and damage to network components. The request by all stakeholders in the sector is to identify possible mitigation tools: one of these consists in applying on the affected surfaces coatings capable of reducing the formation of snow sleeves or accelerating their detachment.

The research was started in the previous three years and in this period the in-depth study on the topics already investigated (superhydrophobic coatings) continues; the typology of promising materials and treatments (slippery coatings) is expanded with particular attention to durability, environmental compatibility, and industrial applicability aspects.

The characterization of these surfaces in the laboratory includes hydrophobic properties, ice adhesion, roughness, SEM micrographs, FTIR and XPS spectroscopies. The field performances of different types of samples, both produced by RSE itself and externally and used at the RSE WILD station and at Malga Ciapela, are also analyzed.

The study highlights that laboratory tests and field tests are complementary and not interchangeable. Encouraging results and assessments of merit relating to the materials studied emerge.

Given the scarcity of natural events, the opportunity to design an artificial snow laboratory allowing tests to be conducted throughout the year is highlighted. The investigation of two possible suppliers of artificial snow systems, capable of producing snow with the characteristics under examination, is also reported, and the technical specification developed for a possible purchase is attached.