Kilfrost Introduces Sustainable De-icing Fluid

Kilfrost (Hall 4 Stand G4) is introducing what it claims to be the first aircraft de-icing fluid made from sustainable sources. The new corn-based DF Sustain fluid is an environmentally friendly alternative to monopropylene glycol and it has already been approved by aviation authorities in the U.S. and Japan.

All Nippon Airways successfully tested the fluid over the winter of 2011/12 and Air New Zealand has ordered some supplies. According to Kilfrost CEO Gary Lydiate, DF Sustain can operate at much lower temperatures than traditional fluids, having been tested down to minus-40-deg C in the north of Finland. It also allows aircraft to hold on the ground for longer times before having to be de-iced again. The raw material used to make DF Sustain has been developed by a joint venture of DuPont and Tate & Lyle.