THE CONVERSATION
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The ice on road signs, electrical transmission pylons and cables is removed by hitting the ice slabs to induce vibrations to the object or by bending the structure. Our team of researchers at McGill University’s Biomimetic Surface Engineering Laboratory looked to nature for these solutions. Nature takes a different approach to solving its icy surface problems. Through millennia, species have adapted to possess an array of surface functions that do not require harsh chemistry or huge amounts of energy input. We found the solution to de-icing challenges in the feathers of adorable wobble-gaited penguins.
Our analysis showed that the penguin’s plumage has both water-shedding and ice-shedding properties. The preening oil that the bird applies when it grooms itself did not appear to play a role in ice-shedding. This led us to suspect that these effects come from the structure of its feathers, which meant that the structure of penguin feathers could provide a radically different approach to creating surface designs with passive anti-icing properties.
This is because water actually penetrates the previously empty mesh pores and freezes slowly as the temperatures drop low, creating cracks in the ice surface. This means that the surface can easily repel water and ice at freezing temperatures. This extremely good ice-shedding performance can be attributed to the shape of the microstructure pores, the openings of which are smaller than the actual empty space inside the pore.Article content
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