Siddhartha Challa
MASc
Quasicrystalline coatings; de-icing and anti-icing; wire arc spray
email: siddhartha.challa@mail.utoronto.ca
Biosketch
Siddhartha is an MASc student in the MIE Department at the University of Toronto, where he also earned his BASc in Mechanical Engineering (with High Honours) in 2025. His undergrad research experience includes a summer term focused on conductive elastomers for biomedical applications and a thesis focused on kirigami-based nylon metamaterials. His master’s research, co-supervised by Prof. Ali Dolatabadi and Prof. Kevin Golovin, focuses on the fabrication and testing of a de-icing system for an airfoil. In his free time, Sid plays the trombone, reads fiction novels, and unfortunately cheers for the Edmonton Oilers.
Research
Siddhartha’s research aims to create a de-icing system for carbon fiber composite airfoils by depositing quasicrystalline coatings and resistive heating elements using the wire arc spray method. The quasicrystalline coating passively resists ice adhesion due to its low interfacial toughness, while the heating elements actively shed any accumulated ice through melting at the interface.