The influence of freezing and ambient temperature on the adhesion strength of ice

Glaze ice adhesion on transmission lines and aerofoils causes structural and economic damage. The effects of surface roughness, contact angle parameters, liquid water content and the size and rate of adhering droplets affect the adhesion strength of ice, which is typically considered to be both mechanical and electrostatic in nature. Using a spinning centrifuge, we determine adhesion strength for three different metals while altering "freezing temperature", the temperature at which glaze ice forms; and "ambient temperature", the temperature of the surrounding during the test. Results indicate that the effect of the ambient temperature is much greater than the freezing temperature on the adhesion strength of ice. The reason for this is the presence of an amorphous liquid-like layer at the ice-substrate interface, whose bond with the substrate is strengthened at lower ambient temperatures when the substrate conducts heat much faster than the ice and acts as a heat sink. Future tests envisaged focus on thermally non-conducting substrates and their influence on adhesion strength.