Design and evaluation of a novel flexible, wear-resistant de-icing brush: a solution to road damage and wear

This study proposes a novel design of a flexible, wear-resistant de-icing brush to address the issues of significant road damage and the rapid wear caused by traditional de-icing machinery. The technique utilizes semi-rigid steel wire rope as a high-speed cutting brush, leveraging the mechanism of brittle-ductile deformation fracture. Using epoxy resin materials and optimizing the brush head’s tilt angle enhances its wear resistance and milling performance, thus reducing road damage. The de-icing performance of the flexible brush head was evaluated through tensile and wear-resistant tests. Experimental results indicated a sample displacement of approximately 3.86 mm, with the steel wire rope beginning to slip from the brush head when the tensile force reached 1018 N. A 20-minute coating and soaking process with the epoxy resin material resulted in a 2.7-fold increase in the wear resistance of the brush head compared to a conventional one. Moreover, operating the de-icing brush at 600 r/min reduced the brush head’s wear rate. The novel flexible, wear-resistant de-icing brush designed in this study offers a promising solution to the severe road damage and rapid wear induced by conventional de-icing machinery.