Phys.org September 12, 2022
Many of the current ice-shedding materials have low durability limiting their applicability. Researchers at the University of Houston used the concept of “fracture-controlled surface” to affect the interfacial crack nucleation and growth on the surfaces through coordinated mechanical and chemical heterogeneity in the material structure. Measurements indicated low ice adhesion, high mechanical durability, and three orders of magnitude greater than other state-of-the-art ice-shedding materials. They pre-specified the crack nucleation coordinates at the interface and guided the crack growth in an interfacial plane, with no kinking in other directions to maximize the energy that goes towards crack nucleation and growth. A mathematical model suggested that an elastic matching criterion is required to achieve minimal adhesion of solid objects on these materials…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Graphical abstract. Credit: Materials Horizon, 2022