The effect of vibration and acceleration on the stability of isochoric (constant volume) supercooled aqueous systems

Supercooling is gaining recognition as a promising technique for preserving biological materials at subfreezing temperatures, offering a key advantage over traditional freezing by preventing harmful ice formation. However, because supercooling represents a metastable thermodynamic state, it is susceptible to uncontrolled ice nucleation. Research suggests that maintaining isochoric (constant volume) conditions may enhance the stability of supercooled systems compared to isobaric (constant pressure) conditions. During transportation by land, sea, or air, supercooled systems are often exposed to vibrations and high accelerations. This study aims to assess whether isochoric conditions can improve the stability of supercooled systems under typical external stressors encountered during transportation, compared to isobaric conditions. Using an isochoric nucleation detection device, we measured the probability of nucleation in 5.5 ml volumes of supercooled water subjected to vibrations of 50-60 Hz and accelerations of 6 g under both conditions. The results revealed that, under isobaric conditions, these stressors increased the average nucleation temperature from -8 °C to -4 °C. In contrast, under isochoric conditions, the nucleation temperature remained at -8 °C. This suggests that isochoric supercooling may offer significant advantages for transportation. However, further research is needed to explore the effects of specific vibration frequencies, accelerations, and container designs to optimize performance for various transportation modes.