Laboratory Test for Ice Adhesion Strength Using Commercial Instrumentation

• Published in: Langmuir Vol. 30; no. 2; pp. 540 - 547
• Main Authors: Wang, Chenyu, Zhang, Wei, Siva, Adarsh, Tiea, Daniel, Wynne, Kenneth J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 21-01-2014
• ISSN: 0743-7463; 1520-5827
• DOI: 10.1021/la4044254

A laboratory test method for evaluating ice adhesion has been developed employing a commercially available instrument normally used for dynamic mechanical analysis (TA RSA-III). This is the first laboratory ice adhesion test that does not require a custom-built apparatus. The upper grip range of ∼10 mm is an enabling feature that is essential for the test. The method involves removal of an ice cylinder from a polymer coating with a probe and the determination of peak removal force (P s). To validate the test method, the strength of ice adhesion was determined for a prototypical glassy polymer, poly(methyl methacrylate). The distance of the probe from the PMMA surface has been identified as a critical variable for P s. The new test provides a readily available platform for investigating fundamental surface characteristics affecting ice adhesion. In addition to the ice release test, PMMA coatings were characterized using DSC, DCA, and TM-AFM.