Atomistic Insights into Microwave-Induced Ice Melting and Interfacial Detachment on Absorbing Surfaces

In response to the safety threats posed by ice and snow accumulation in extreme cold environments and the limitations of conventional deicing methods, this study focuses on enhancing microwave deicing efficiency through absorbing surfaces, aiming to address the current lack of atomistic understanding of electromagnetic-thermal-mechanical coupling mechanisms. Using molecular dynamics simulations, this work constructs an atomistic model consisting of an ice layer and a silicon carbide (SiC) absorbing layer to systematically explore the dynamics of ice melting and interfacial detachment under microwave irradiation. The results show that direct contact between the ice layer and the SiC layer accelerates melting by enhancing interfacial heat transfer and microwave absorption. Increasing the initial temperature, electric field amplitude, and frequency, applying normal incidence, and introducing ionic dopants all significantly accelerate the melting process. A single-factor sensitivity analysis further highlights electric field amplitude and temperature as dominant factors governing melting time, providing quantitative guidance for system optimization. Meanwhile, microwave irradiation effectively reduces the interfacial adhesion force between the ice and the absorbing surface, and there exists an optimal combination of electric field strength and irradiation time to achieve maximum energy conversion efficiency. This study proposes an atomistic-level explanation for the synergistic mechanism of "absorption-heat transfer-detachment" in microwave deicing and provides theoretical guidance for the development of high-efficiency absorbing coatings and the optimization of intelligent microwave deicing systems in extreme environments.