Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026
11:20
Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Metal Surfaces for Anti-Icing Applications
Published on: August 15, 2018
Relationships between water wettability and ice adhesion.
Adam J Meuler1, J David Smith, Kripa K Varanasi
1Space and Missile Propulsion Division, Air Force Research Laboratory, Edwards Air Force Base, California 93524, USA.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|October 19, 2010
Summary
Designing icephobic surfaces is crucial for infrastructure. This study found that ice adhesion strength correlates with water contact angles, with fluorodecyl POSS coatings reducing adhesion by over four times on smooth surfaces.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Chemistry
- Tribology
Background:
- Ice formation and accretion pose significant risks to critical national infrastructure.
- Understanding ice adhesion is key to developing effective icephobic surfaces.
- Existing research on ice adhesion fundamentals and systematic design of ice-resistant surfaces is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between water contact angles and ice adhesion strength.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of various coatings, including fluorodecyl POSS, in reducing ice adhesion.
- To identify material properties crucial for designing advanced icephobic surfaces.
Main Methods:
- Measurement of advancing and receding water contact angles using a goniometer.
- Evaluation of average ice adhesion strengths using a custom-built laboratory adhesion apparatus.
- Application and testing of twenty-one different coatings (200-300 nm thick) on steel substrates.
Main Results:
- Ice adhesion strength strongly correlates with the practical work of adhesion, specifically [1 + cos θ(rec)].
- Fluorodecyl POSS-containing coatings reduced ice adhesion strength by up to 4.2 times compared to bare steel.
- The tested smooth surfaces approached a minimum limit for ice adhesion strength reduction.
Conclusions:
- The practical work of adhesion is a critical parameter for predicting and reducing ice adhesion.
- Fluorodecyl POSS is a promising additive for creating effective icephobic coatings on smooth surfaces.
- Achieving further significant reductions in ice adhesion will likely necessitate the use of textured surfaces.
Related Concept Videos
01:14Adhesion
Adhesion occurs when one type of molecule is attracted to a different molecule. Water exhibits adhesive properties in the presence of polar surfaces, such as glass or cellulose in plants. For instance, when water is poured into a glass, the positively charged hydrogen molecules of water are more attracted to the negatively charged oxygen molecules in the silica than to the oxygen in neighboring water molecules.
Capillary action is a result of water’s adhesive tendencies. When a narrow glass...
Capillary action is a result of water’s adhesive tendencies. When a narrow glass...
02:57Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity
Surface Tension
The various IMFs between identical molecules of a substance are examples of cohesive forces. The molecules within a liquid are surrounded by other molecules and are attracted equally in all directions by the cohesive forces within the liquid. However, the molecules on the surface of a liquid are attracted only by about one-half as many molecules. Because of the unbalanced molecular attractions on the surface molecules, liquids contract to form a shape that minimizes the number...
The various IMFs between identical molecules of a substance are examples of cohesive forces. The molecules within a liquid are surrounded by other molecules and are attracted equally in all directions by the cohesive forces within the liquid. However, the molecules on the surface of a liquid are attracted only by about one-half as many molecules. Because of the unbalanced molecular attractions on the surface molecules, liquids contract to form a shape that minimizes the number...
01:07Cohesion
Cohesion is the attraction between molecules of the same type, such as water molecules. Water molecules have an overall neutral charge but are polar molecule. An oxygen atom in one water molecule has a partial negative charge that can bind to a hydrogen atom with a partial positive charge in a second water molecule, forming a hydrogen bond. Each water molecule can form up to four hydrogen bonds with other water molecules. Hydrogen bonds are responsible for water's cohesive nature.
On a surface,...
On a surface,...
01:24Surface Tension
Surface tension is defined as the force per unit length (γ) acting along the surface of a liquid. It arises due to strong intermolecular forces of attraction. A molecule located inside the bulk of the liquid is surrounded by other molecules and experiences equal forces in all directions. However, a molecule at the surface experiences unbalanced forces because there are more neighboring molecules below than above. This creates a net inward force that pulls surface molecules toward the interior,...
01:23States of Water
Water exists in any one of the three classical states: solid (ice), liquid (water), and gas (steam or water vapor). The state of water depends on i) the intermolecular forces that draw molecules together and ii) the kinetic energy that leads to movements that pull them apart.
Water freezes when the intermolecular forces are greater than the kinetic energy. Unlike most other substances, water is less dense in its solid state than in its liquid state. This is because each water molecule can form...
Water freezes when the intermolecular forces are greater than the kinetic energy. Unlike most other substances, water is less dense in its solid state than in its liquid state. This is because each water molecule can form...
02:56Intermolecular Forces and Physical Properties