Exploiting intermediate wetting on superhydrophobic surfaces for efficient icing prevention

The temperature-dependent wetting fraction in the microstructure increased at supercooled temperatures, partly activated by condensation in the microcavities. At -10/-20 °C, a critical wetting fraction led to maximum ice nucleation delays, with experimental results consistent with theoretical predictions. This critical wetting fraction minimized the effective contact area solid-to-liquid along the partially wetted microstructure. The study establishes physical relations between ice nucleation delays, geometrical surface parameters and wettability properties in the intermediate wetting regime, providing guidance for the design of ice resistant microstructured surfaces.