Effect of Electrification Conditions on the Freezing of Supercooled Water Droplets on a Hydrophobic Coating

Abstract

The effects of electrification processes on ice nucleation on an octadecanethiol (ODT) coating were investigated under two different conditions. Electrification provides the driving force of the movement to the three-phase contact line. This change promotes ice nucleation on the supercooled water droplet. In contrast, electrification before cooling inhibits freezing, probably because of the limitation of orientational freedom by the interaction between the surface charge and the dipole moment of water molecules.

Role of Water Solidification Concepts in Designing Nano-Textured Anti-Icing Surfaces

“…Under certain conditions a maximum super cooling temperature of water at 1 bar of pressure is expected to be as low as −45 °C . This temperature corresponds to the assumed homogeneous ice nucleation temperature. , Surface curvature is key in the design of nanoroughened icephobic surfaces since it affects the geometrical factor ( f ) and determines the ice nucleation mechanism (homogeneous or heterogeneous).…”