Deicing with Bubbles

Ice accretion is ubiquitous and destructive: from car windshields to powerlines, wind turbines to airplanes, ice-induced damages comprise a multibillion-dollar problem in the United States alone. Traditional deicing methods rely on mechanical scrubbing, heating, or chemical melting that are crude, inefficient, and even environmentally toxic. Here we propose a fundamentally different approach to the classical problem of deicing using bubbles generated via in situ electrolysis of the liquid water – before it freezes. We show with experiments how a progressing ice front can trap the electrolytically generated bubbles at the interface that subsequently act as stress concentrators to diminish the energy required to fracture ice. Our proposed mechanism constitutes a self-starting, self-limiting means to reduce ice adhesion – a feature hitherto non-existent.