How to use a candle and oil to prepare an homemade tape to which ice won't stick

What is it about?

We employed candle soot deposited on double-sided tape and impregnated with lubricant oil to obtain a slippery surface that prevents ice adhesion by means of low affinity between the solid ice and the liquid lubricant. By employing adhesive tape as substrate, the resulting material is also flexible, stretchable, and can be place on-demand where needed. In addition, we demonstrated experimentally and computationally stretching and bending are extremely efficient way to deliver the (little) energy necessary to detach the ice from surfaces characterized by an already low affinity for ice.

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Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Surfaces with a inherently low affinity for ice adhesion and formation are a critical technology for the mitigation of ice related damages that affect infrastructure, the energy sector, and transportation. While a relatively efficient solution can be devised for most applications on the large scale, our simple and versatile approach allows everyone to be able to have a straightforward way to solve their ice problems - at least until they find a better solution.

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