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Updated: May 18, 2026
11:20
Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Metal Surfaces for Anti-Icing Applications
Published on: August 15, 2018
Why superhydrophobic surfaces are not always icephobic
Michael Nosonovsky1, Vahid Hejazi
1College of Engineering & Applied Science, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, USA. nosonovs@uwm.edu
ACS Nano
|September 27, 2012
Summary
Understanding water droplet and ice adhesion on rough surfaces is key. Superhydrophobic surfaces reduce water droplet adhesion, while ice adhesion depends on receding contact angle and crack size, not just surface properties.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Materials Science
- Surface Science
Background:
- Investigating the mechanical forces governing droplet and ice adhesion on rough surfaces is crucial for understanding dewetting and ice fracture phenomena.
- Surface properties, such as contact angle hysteresis and receding contact angle, significantly influence adhesion forces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the mechanical forces acting on water droplets and ice on rough solid surfaces.
- To differentiate between dewetting and ice fracture mechanisms.
- To determine the factors affecting the detachment forces for water droplets and ice.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of mechanical forces on water droplets and ice.
- Consideration of contact angle (CA) hysteresis for water droplets.
- Evaluation of receding CA and interfacial crack size for ice.
Main Results:
- Detachment force for water droplets is influenced by CA hysteresis, with superhydrophobic surfaces significantly reducing adhesion.
- Detachment force for ice depends on receding CA and initial interfacial crack size.
- Strong ice adhesion can occur even on surfaces with high receding CA if crack sizes are small.
Conclusions:
- Surface properties play a differential role in water droplet versus ice adhesion.
- Ice adhesion is critically dependent on the presence and size of initial cracks, not solely on receding contact angles.
- Designing surfaces for controlled ice adhesion requires consideration of both surface energy and potential crack initiation sites.
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