Kilfrost | History

Family-owned and run for over 75 years, Kilfrost was founded in the 1930s by Joseph Halbert – nicknamed ‘tiny’ due to his larger-than-life personality – with a product inspired by the humble snowdrop.

Initially based in Whitley Bay, the company’s first products were used to de-ice prominent football pitches such as St James Park in Newcastle, before they moved in 1936 to London. In 1937 Kilfrost turned their attention to aircraft de-icing and launched a Defrosting Composite which the UK Royal Air Force trialled on the Sunderland Flying Boats of Imperial Airways before approving its use. At the same time Kilfrost developed a range of marine pastes for use in Arctic conditions and on ships.

The success of the company’s Lofreeze paste, used to prevent ice build-up in cold chambers, allowed Kilfrost to reinvest its profits in more research and better equipment – a trend which continues today – and enabled the development of a third rail de-icing fluid for the whole British Rail network in 1938, and the Points De-Icing Lubricant for Railways a year later.

The advent of the Second World War saw the demand for Kilfrost’s Defrosting Concrete for aircraft soar, and the company had to expand to keep up with the country’s growing demands. During this period Kilfrost moved to their present location in Haltwhistle, Northumberland where, as well as employing over 100 people in the production department, they also added a larger laboratory.

Continued R&D saw the development and launch of the first ever glycol-based aircraft de-icing fluid in 1941. In 1942 Kilfrost lent its expertise in collaboration with Tecalemit and Sheepridge Stokes, and helped establish TKS (Aircraft De-icing) Ltd, with the company producing the de-icing fluid used in the developed system. In 1947 an improved and less corrosive TKS in-flight de-icing fluid was launched, whilst the TKS company also introduced a new stainless steel porous leading edge to replaced the old strip design.

During this time Kilfrost also developed Marine Paste, a low temperature lubricant and quick de-icier for metalwork on ships, DC2A, a product refinement of the company’s main aviation fluid and the development of a Rope Compound to keep ropes and tarpaulins supple in arctic conditions. These products were of immense importance on Arctic convoys.

Between 1949 and 1952 Kilfrost’s Radiator Anti-Freeze was used in the Norwegian-British-Swedish Antarctic Expeditions, and the same product was favoured by the 1952 to 1954 British North Greenland Expedition team, and the 1955 to 1958 Commonwealth Trans-Arctic Expeditions. The importance of effective aircraft and runway de-icing was highlighted by the Munich air disaster of 1958.

Further development during this period led to increases in the Kilfrost product range, including a Summer Corrosion Inhibitor for use in car radiators and in sealed central heating systems and Mobile Permazone – a bulk anti-freeze manufactured specifically for Mobil Oil Co Ltd. A low temperature lubricant for pneumatic tools was launched in 1961, a forerunner of the K400 product, and was being produced under license in New Jersey, USA within two years. During this period Kilfrost began its long association with the American market teaming with Mobil and other companies.

In 1962 Kilfrost won a big contract with Lufthansa for its DC2A fluid, and three years later launched Kilfrost ABC, the first ever modern thickened fluid with extended holdover.

In the late 1970s the AEA introduced fluid specifications to regulate the production of the this safety critical fluid, and in 1982 Kilfrost became the only company recommended in their guidelines – in fact the Type II specification was drawn up based on the Kilfrost’s ABC and its own test methods. In 1980 Kilfrost’s continual product innovation was once again seen in the launch of the K400 Pneumatic Tool Anti-Freeze Lubricant.

The 1980s saw Kilfrost become the first ever company recommended in the AEA guidelines, with the Type II specification drawn up based on Kilfrost's ABC product and test methods. Between 1986 and 1987, Type II fluids ABC-2 and then ABC-3 were introduced for customers requiring longer holdover protection, and Kilfrost's R&D team continued their work to develop cutting-edge new products and techniques.

In 1992 Kilfrost introduced Runway, a formate based runway de/anti-icing fluid as an alternative to the glycol or urea-based applications previously available. In 1996 the company expanded into the Far East when it licensed production of its Type I fluid in Japan, and the new ABC-S Type IV fluid in 1998. This was introduced in the USA in 1999 following the introduction by the AEA of a Type IV specification because demand for even longer holdover was growing.

In the late 1990s Kilfrost's expertise and knowledge as the leaders in de-icing were acknowledged in the USA, when a formal licence agreement covering a variety of different de-icing products was granted. In 1999 Kilfrost launched ABC II Plus which offered customers a Type II product with longer holdover than ABC-3.

Kilfrost's Type I product was licensed for production in the USA and Sweden, and was swiftly followed by the launch of DF Plus (88) in 2001 for the US market and DF Plus (80) in 2002 for the Scandinavian market. Other environmentally-friendly product innovations include the launch of the first triazole-free version of Runway – Runway Plus – which was launched in 2001, and the triazole-free ABC-S Plus in 2006. Kilfrost currently aims to have a full portfolio of triazole-free products available from 2010.

In 2007 as the result of an exciting partnership with DuPont Tate & Lyle BioProducts, Kilfrost's world-renowned R&D team developed the world's first ever fluid based on bio-glycol derived from a sustainable source – DFsustain. The rail sector also saw the launch Kilfrost Rail, an eco-de-icer for the electrified third rail of railways and a more environmentally-friendly replacement for Electrice 101.

Kilfrost's environmental commitment has been further demonstrated with the development in 2009 of TKSsustain which is based on sustainable and renewable raw materials and the launch of ABC-K Plus, a low residue Type II fluid with excellent holdover properties. The portfolio of TKS fluids has been completed with the re-introduction of 406B.

In addition, Kilfrost has also recently announced a strategic partnership with CAV Aerospace to develop future TKS technology, and its R&D team is working hard to create the next new-generation fluid with serious green credentials. The company enjoys a diverse customer-base across 50 countries and five continents and boasts facilities in the UK, Europe, North America, and Japan.