GOALI: Understanding Ice Adhesion and Nucleation on Surfaces

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TECHNICAL SUMMARYThe objective of this GOALI project is to develop a fundamental understanding of ice adhesion and ice nucleation on a variety of surfaces, including hydrophobic, hydrophilic, charged, textured and mixed patterned surfaces. Despite considerable studies and development of easy-ice-release coatings, the fundamental and molecular understanding of ice-coating interfaces and the kinetics of ice nucleation on these surfaces are lacking. In addition, in-situ characterization of ice nucleation and adhesion of these coatings at the molecular level and under-simulated atmospheric ice conditions (for example: high velocity super-cooled water droplet impact) pose a formidable challenge. This proposal will study the influence of coating chemistry, morphology and topography on ice nucleation and adhesion using both experiments and molecular dynamic simulations. Surface sensitive infrared visible sum frequency generation spectroscopy (SFG) will be used to study the buried interface between water (and ice) and model surface coatings. Surface spectroscopy results will be correlated with adhesion of ice using extensive ice tunnel and fan test capabilities available at GE Global Research. A series of hydrophilic, hydrophobic and charged surfaces will be fabricated from short and long chain silane-based functional groups. Also, multiple patterning and advanced nanolithography techniques developed at GE Global Research will be used to create textured substrates. Thereafter, the experimental results will be compared to the molecular dynamics simulation results.NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARYThe objective of this project is to develop a fundamental understanding of ice nucleation, which is important in many applications such as wind turbines, aircraft engines and electrical wires. The knowledge gained from this work will aid in developing or enhancing next generation anti-icing coatings that may either significantly delay or prevent ice formation on these surfaces. Realization of such anti-icing coatings can dramatically improve the efficiency and safety of large numbers of operations. This project will support two graduate students who will spend one year at GE Global Research Center in Niskayuna, in addition to their studies at The University of Akron (UA). The experience of working with a group of scientists at GE and the use of their advanced fabrication and measurement facilities will provide important training and education to these students. Several outreach activities that involve co-PI from an industry team teaching the Technology I class at UA and involvement of high school students in research at GE and UA will be undertaken.