The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) prohibits aircraft from attempting takeoff unless free of frost, ice, and snow (known as the "clean wing" concept). The frost, ice, and snow are most commonly removed from the wings using Aircraft Deicing Fluids.
Lyondell Chemical Company supplies a complete line of aircraft deicing and anti-icing fluids to North America. Two types of deicing/anti-icing fluids are supplied by Lyondell.
Lyondell aircraft deicing/anti-icing fluids are primarily a blend of propylene glycol and water, along with proprietary additives and stabilizers.
Deicing fluids, Type I, are sprayed onto the critical surfaces of an airplane such as the wings, flaps, and fuselage at temperatures above 140°F to melt ice and accumulated snow. Type I fluids are effective in deicing aircraft, yet will not provide long term protection from the reformation of ice, snow, frost, or slush on surfaces that are exposed to freezing precipitation.
Anti-icing fluids, Type IV, provide protection against the reformation of ice and the accumulation of snow or slush on clean aircraft surfaces for a certain period of time. Type IV fluids contain proprietary thickeners to enable the fluid to form a protective film on treated surfaces, providing holdover protection against ice formation and/or snow accumulation, yet shearing off the aircraft wing upon takeoff.