Ice friction: A brief review of the influencing factors and experimental methods

Ice friction is influenced by multiple interconnected parameters between the sliding body and ice, making it a challenging research area in tribology. The motivation for this review lies in the need to understand the parameters affecting ice friction and its relevance to the fields of sport, safety, and various industrial applications. The existing literature on ice friction only partially describes the test methods used. Thus, the comparability of the results and the drawing of conclusions are more challenging. This review addresses this issue by analyzing factors affecting ice friction, including properties of the ice, liquid-like layer, sliding body, and experimental methods. Small-scale rotary, linear, and large-scale laboratory and on-field setups are reviewed, and advantages and limitations are highlighted. The main results indicate that laboratory setups tend to provide more precise control over measurements but may not replicate real-world conditions. On the other hand, large-scale and on-field setups are closer to the actual conditions, but the control over experiments, reproducibility, and implementation is more challenging. The review concludes that future research should focus on comparing different test methods with the possibility of developing standardized protocols and improving large-scale experimental setups. The study aims to enhance the reliability of ice friction research and its practical applications, which should lead to improved safety and performance in the fields where ice friction plays a crucial role.