This Smart Material Can De-Ice Any Surface

Researchers have discovered a ‘smart’ material that can be applied to any surface to repel ice and outperform all other currently in use. Icy conditions can be deadly, whether you are flying into bad weather or too close to power transmission lines during a storm, researchers said. One side of the surface of the material known as a magnetic slippery surface (MAGSS) is coated with a magnetic material, while a thin layer of magnetic fluid – a mixture of fluid and iron oxide nanoparticles – is deposited on the other side. The magnetic fluid faces outside. When a droplet of water hits the surface, the magnetic fluid acts as a barrier, stopping the droplet from reaching the solid surface. There’s no adhesion of the ice to the solid surface, so it basically slides off the surface. Anti-icing surfaces have a critical footprint on daily lives of humans ranging from transportation systems and infrastructure to energy systems, but creation of these surfaces for low temperatures remain elusive, researchers said. Researcher hopes to develop the coating as a spray that can be applied to any surface.