Structured Surfaces for Prevention of Ice Adhesion and Growth

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Materials surfaced with highly ice-repelling (ice-phobic) properties are of great significance in many applications. This award supports fundamental research on the understanding of critical surface parameters for super-ice-phobic efficiency and durability of nanostructured surfaces in well-regulated environments. The new scientific insights obtained from this study will be of great importance in the design and development of highly efficient and durable anti-icing coatings and materials for numerous applications including commercial/military aircrafts/vessels, wind turbines, and high voltage power lines. The highly icing-resistant properties of structured surfaces will also significantly advance current de-icing technologies and efficiency. The materials engineered with greater ice-phobic robustness and durability will further influence a broader spectrum of technology issues from energy to civil infrastructure. The educational and outreach activities integrated with this research will also enhance undergraduate students' experiential learning, yield valuable curricular products that can benefit high school students in NJ, provide professional development opportunities to high school teachers, and create a scientific awareness in the under-served/represented communities.The objective of this research is to establish fundamental correlations between hydro-phobicity (non-wettability to water) and ice-phobicity (ability to repel ice or prevent ice formation) of structured surfaces. The main hypothesis is that the anti/de-icing efficiency of hydro-phobic surfaces should be determined by the wetting and adhesion states of super-cooled water or ice droplets on the structured surfaces and that the denser (e.g., nanoscale rather than microscale) structures with lower contact angle hysteresis and greater de-wetting stability should result in more efficient and durable anti/de-icing properties. To verify the hypothesis, how the length scale and kinetic/dynamic parameters of structured surfaces determine the contact angle hysteresis and adhesion/frictional properties against ice via the development of well-controlled surface structure models will be studied. A detailed parametric study will also be performed to understand thermo/hydro/aero-dynamic effects (e.g., temperature, air speed, liquid water content, and size of droplets) on the anti/de-icing effectiveness of hydro-phobic surfaces by using a custom-designed icing wind tunnel system integrated in situ with a centrifugal adhesion tester. For the direct visualization of wetting and adhesion states during the ice formation, several microscopy and nanography techniques will also be employed, including reflection interference contrast microscopy, cryo-scanning electron microscopy, wet scanning transmission electron microscopy, and small angle X-ray scattering. The methods and approaches to be used will lead to a new and deeper understanding of the critical surface parameters impacting ice-phobic efficiency and durability, revealing the correlation between surface hydro-phobicity and ice-phobicity.