Chill Out! Protecting Power Lines From Freezing Rain

Freezing rain happens when a thin layer of cold air near the ground doesn’t give raindrops enough time to refreeze into snow before they land. (National Weather Service, 2026). As the rain passes through this cold layer and hits a surface, it instantly freezes, creating a dangerous coating of ice (National Weather Service, 2026). When this happens, ice can quickly build up on power lines, causing them to break and creating major issues.

In the past, major ice storms have shut down cities, caused millions of dollars in damage, and even put lives at risk (The Epicenter, 2026; Ouranous, 2026). I wanted to find a way to reduce this. The goal of my experiment was to test different eco-friendly coatings to see which one reduced ice buildup the most and lasted the longest, while also being the most affordable.

In phase one, I tested different eco-friendly coatings to see which one reduced ice buildup the most on simulated power lines. In phase two, I tested how long the coatings lasted in wet conditions to see which one stayed on the wire the longest. In phase three, since oils worked the best, I compared different types of oils to find the most effective, environmentally friendly, and price-friendly option.

This project could help reduce damage from major freezing rain storms, keep power on longer for those who need it most, help first responders stay safe, and reduce costs from storm damage.

I started my project by researching how freezing rain forms and how different materials react with water and ice. I used trusted sources such as science websites and weather organizations to better understand how freezing rain forms and how each possible coating may react to water.

To test my idea, I built three wooden testing stations, each holding five wires to act like power lines. Each wire had a different coating, including a control with no coating. I placed all the stations outside and left them in freezing rain for several days. Every 12 hours, I weighed each wire to see how much ice had built up. This gave me repeated data, which made my results more reliable. I controlled for wire coating and time exposed to freezing rain, and I collected data by measuring the ice weight each time and calculating the change over time for each coating.

In phase one, I tested beet juice, a sand/glue mix, beeswax mixed with coconut oil, coconut oil alone, and a control. All wires were treated the same and placed outside at the same time.

In phase two, I observed and recorded how long the coatings lasted and which ones stayed on the wires best over time.

In phase three, since the oil in phase one worked best, I tested different oils. I used canola, corn, coconut, and sunflower oil. I compared how much ice built up, how long they lasted, and researched which ones were more eco-friendly and affordable. Since I couldn’t rely on real storms this late in the season, I waited for freezing temperatures and sprayed water to simulate a storm, controlling the amount sprayed on each wire to keep it constant.

The results showed differences in the amount of ice formed on each coating during the testing trials.

Across the tests, a clear pattern emerged. Coconut oil and beet juice usually had the least ice buildup and worked better than the control. The control and beet juice were often in the middle, while sand and glue had more ice. The beeswax and coconut oil mixture had the most ice in every test. Overall, coconut oil by itself worked the best with the lowest ice buildup, while sand and glue and the beeswax mixture had the highest.

In phase two, I looked at how long each coating lasted by checking it daily. Coconut oil stayed on the longest, while sand and glue started to fall off quickly, even a bit during setup.

In phase three, I tested different oils, including coconut, canola, corn, and sunflower oil. Since there was no natural freezing rain, I waited for temperatures to drop below zero and sprayed freezing water on the wires for over two days. All oils stayed on well, but corn oil did not reduce ice buildup, while canola oil reduced the most overall.

Sunflower and coconut oils also performed well, reducing ice buildup. They were not chosen as the best overall because they tend to be more expensive than canola oil. It was also found that canola oil is used more often in pet foods, farm feed, pesticides, etc., suggesting that it would be more environmentally friendly when used on plants and animals outdoors. (USDA, 2001; Hanson Chemicals, 2026). Canola oil is also used as a natural lubricant on farm machines instead of petroleum lubricants, and it's not considered highly flammable with the highest flash point of all of the coatings (USDA, 2001; Hanson Chemicals, 2026).

These results show that canola oil was the most effective at reducing ice buildup. This is likely because it repels water, so water cannot stick and freeze easily, and because it is a thinner oil that spreads more easily than other oils. The beeswax and oil mixture had the worst results. Even though beeswax is waterproof, it hardened and created small cracks where ice could build up even more than in the control.

Overall, oil coatings worked the best, with canola oil being the best of all.

These results can help the world because they show how eco-friendly protective coatings added to hydro-lines can reduce ice buildup during a freezing rainstorm, thereby reducing damage, and that the type of coating used can affect how much ice builds up.

My research showed me that not all eco-friendly options work the same way. The main result I found is that oils worked the best for reducing ice buildup. Because they are hydrophobic, the water couldn’t stick easily to the wire and would slide off before freezing in place (Nasami, 2024). The harder coatings would build up and cause cracks for ice to sit in, and the coatings that were not hydrophobic but reduced freezing temperatures (beet juice) did not stay on the simulated hydro wire long enough to be a good option.

When I tested different oils, I saw that overall, most oils worked well, but some were cheaper, locally sourced, and more environmentally friendly. All of this would need to be considered if used in real life.

Overall, this experiment showed that hydrophobic oil coatings are most effective at reducing ice buildup on power lines during severe freezing rainstorms. Canola oil was the best option from my research because it is commonly used on outdoor machines, in animal feed, can be locally sourced, and is an overall cheaper option.

This project would be improved with more data repetition. Starting the project earlier in the year, for more freezing rainstorms would help draw more conclusions.

For future research, I would like to examine how the oils interact with different types of hydro wire.

Next steps would be to conduct a longer study in which I could leave the wires out for an entire season, including multiple freezing rainstorms. This would help me record more data, see how the wires hold up in bad weather in the long term, and determine whether the coating needs to be reapplied in a season.

I want to thank my Mom for helping me through all the ups and downs of this project, from the first phase to the third phase. Thanks to my brother Deacon for helping me build the project structures. Thank you to Mrs. Fischer and Ava for keeping me grounded and confident in myself. A big thank you to our SCRSTF Regional coordinators, Emily, Rhea, and Liz, for keeping me organized and ready for this trip, and to the entire Regional Science Fair Committee for giving me this amazing opportunity!

GLISA (2017). Freezing rain. Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments. https://glisa.umich.edu/freezing-rain/

Government of Canada (2024). Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en.html

Hanson Chemicals (2026). Canola oil specifications. https://hansonchemicals.com/products/canola-oil/

HowStuffWorks (2023, September 8). Why is salt used to melt ice on the roads in winter? https://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climate-weather/atmospheric/road-salt.htm

Hywax (2025). The science behind waterproof wax: How it’s made and why it works. https://www.hywax.com/blog/waterproof-wax

KU Power Group (2026). How do high voltage power lines work? KU Power Group. https://kanatautilitiesltd.ca/how-high-voltage-power-lines-work/

Moran, David (2026). Freezing rain and its effects on power lines [Photograph]. DTN. https://www.dtn.com/freezing-rain-and-its-effects-on-power-lines/

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2026). Freezing rain and sleet. https://www.weather.gov/rnk/Measure_Icing

Ouranos (2024). Freezing rain – Impacts. https://www.ouranos.ca/en/climate-phenomena/freezing-rain-impacts

OPPD, The Wire (2026, February 16). Ice has a weighty effect on power lines [Photograph]. https://oppdthewire.com/ice-power-lines-oppd/

The Epicenter (2025). Winter storms: The cost drivers and associated opportunities for investors. https://www.epicenterinsights.com/winter-storms-the-cost-drivers-and-associated-opportunities-for-investors-2/

U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2001). ARS and industry test new vegetable oils as industrial lubricants. https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2001/ars-and-industry-test-new-vegetable-oils-as-industrial-lubricants/

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Statistical Model:

Posit. (2023). RStudio (Version 2023.xx) [Computer software]. https://posit.co/

Code Writing Support:

ChatGPT (OpenAI, 2026) was used to assist with statistical code in RStudio which is software that helps with data analysis.