Centrifuge Adhesion Tests (CAT) can be used to determine the ice adhesion reduction of a candidate icephobic coating compared to an uncoated surface. Ice samples are grown under freezing drizzle in a cold chamber (CATZL), or in a wind tunnel under an artificial icing cloud (CATWT). Since 2002, more than 360 different coatings have been evaluated with this methodology. Results are expressed in Adhesion Reduction Factor (ARF); the average ice adhesion of six bare Al flat bars divided by the average ice adhesion on the candidate coating.

The ice adhesion reduction performance of coatings is evaluated using the following criteria:

ARF ≥ 1: Ice adhesion reduction, icephobic effect, the higher the value the more icephobic the coating

ARF ≤ 1: An increase in adhesion on the candidate coating with respect to the bare Al (icephilic)