Science Daily March 10, 2020
Based on their fundamental understanding of discontinuous frost patterns found on the leaf vein structure on the scale of millimeters, researchers at Northwestern University elucidated the thermodynamic correlation between the frost-free area and two major surface system parameters—macroscopic surface geometry and ambient humidity. This systematic study on the frost formation mechanism allowed them to demonstrate a ∼50% of frost coverage even for superhydrophilic surfaces and provides a quantitative guideline for further reducing frost coverage. The finding could help decrease the amount of energy needed for de-frosting and could potentially result in fewer canceled flights, which can be grounded by even the slightest layer of frost…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE