Nanostructures modeled on moth eyes effective for anti-icing

Date:
August 4, 2020
Source:
American Institute of Physics
Summary:
Researchers have been working for decades on improving the
anti-icing performance of functional surfaces and new work
investigates a unique nanostructure, modeled on moth eyes, that
has anti-icing properties. Moth eyes are of interest because they
have a distinct ice-phobic and transparent surface. The researchers
fabricated the moth eye nanostructure on a quartz substrate that
was covered with a paraffin layer to isolate it from a cold and
humid environment.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Researchers have been working for decades on improving the anti-icing performance of functional surfaces. Ice accumulation on aircraft wings,
for instance, can reduce lifting force, block moving parts and cause
disastrous problems.


========================================================================== Research in the journal AIP Advances, from AIP Publishing, investigates
a unique nanostructure, modeled on moth eyes, that has anti-icing
properties.

Moth eyes are of interest because they have a distinct ice-phobic and transparent surface.

The researchers fabricated the moth eye nanostructure on a quartz
substrate that was covered with a paraffin layer to isolate it from
a cold and humid environment. Paraffin wax was chosen as a coating
material due to its low thermal conductivity, easy coating and original
water repellency.

"We evaluated the anti-icing properties of this unique nanostructure
covered with paraffin in terms of adhesion strength, freezing time and mimicking rain sustainability," said Nguyen Ba Duc, one of the authors.

Ice accumulation on energy transmission systems, vehicles and ships in
a harsh environment often leads to massive destruction and contributes
to serious accidents.

The researchers found the moth eyes nanostructure surface coated in
paraffin exhibited greatly improved anti-icing performance, indicating
the advantage of combining original water repellency and a unique
heat-delaying structure. The paraffin interfered in the icing process
in both water droplet and freezing rain experiments.

The number of air blocks trapped inside the nanostructure also contributed
to delaying heat transfer, leading to an increase in freezing time of
the attached water droplets.

"We also determined this unique nanostructure sample is suitable for
optical applications, such as eyeglasses, as it has high transparency
and anti- reflective properties," said Ba Duc.

The high transparency and anti-reflective effects were due to the
nanostructure being modeled on moth eyes, which have these transparent
and anti-reflective properties.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by American_Institute_of_Physics. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Nguyen Ba Duc, Nguyen Thanh Binh. Investigate on structure for
transparent anti-icing surfaces. AIP Advances, 2020; 10 (8):
085101 DOI: 10.1063/5.0019119 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200804111524.htm

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