This paper presents some of the more important conclusions of a study to find abrasion-resistant, low friction coatings which can be used on the hulls of U. S. Coast Guard icebreakers. Basic studies showed that there are several parameters which affect the friction of materials sliding on ice, including surface roughness, relative humidity and velocity. Laboratory tests were made to evaluate the friction and abrasion resistance of over 200 coating materials. Based on the results obtained, two nonsolvented polymer coatings were selected for full-scale ship evaluations. Both coating materials have remained over 90 percent intact on the hull of an icebreaker for two years or more. One material, a nonsolvented polyurethane, has been effective in protecting the hull for four years and shows a reduction in hull resistance in ice after two years of service.
