SurfICE

Smart surface design for efficient ice protection and control

SURFICE is an experimental, theoretical and engineering project which will lead to the formulation of a rational framework for the design and the fabrication of a category of discontinuity-enhanced icephobic surfaces that will be tested for industrially relevant applications. The three major research objectives (ROs) of SURFICE, tackling the existing knowledge gaps through dedicated work packages, are:

1. Investigation of the physics of icing of morphologically complex microstructured surfaces, to better understand and model the mechanisms of heterogeneous nucleation and discontinuous icing. The models will enable to accurately predict ice adhesion forces, ice fracture and separation on complex surfaces and to describe the dynamics of impact and freezing of supercooled drops – all of which is beyond the current state of the art.
2. Rational design of new discontinuity-enhanced icephobic/anti-icing materials and coatings, based on fundamental physical principles, as derived from molecular simulations, semi-analytical and multiscale modelling, and experiments across scales.
3. Development of new technologies and systems for efficient ice prevention and control requiring lower energy inputs, based on novel design rules and advanced materials, promoting knowledge transfer to European industries.