There have been no new literature papers dealing with jet fuel deicing addi
tive replacements for the past 20 years. The current fuel system icing inhi
bitor additives, used by both the military and commercial aviation, are eth
ylene glycol monomethyl ether and diethylene glycol monomethyl ether. These
deicing compounds are toxic at the concentrations that are required for ef
fective deicing. This observation points to an immediate need for nontoxic,
inexpensive, and biodegradable deicing compounds. The synthesis of polar s
ugar derivatives represents a viable alternative to glycol-based additives.
The alternative deicing compounds reported in this paper are inexpensive a
nd fuel stable and exhibit icing inhibitor characteristics similar to those
of the presently used commercial materials.