Project description DEENESFRITPL Investigating mesoscale phenomena to engineer advanced icephobic surfaces The ERC-funded INTICE project aims to further understand and counteract ice formation on surfaces by exploring mesoscale phenomena that influence water behaviour on surfaces. The goal is to create a new class of intrinsically icephobic surfaces whose composition and texture prevent ice nucleation and reduce ice adhesion. By investigating the effect of surface texture curvature on ice nucleation, liquid confinement on freezing point depression and texture characteristics on interfacial thermofluidics, researchers aim to develop high-performance surfaces for various applications. Beyond icephobicity, the proposed research has implications for characterising mesoscale phase-change phenomena and advancing multiphase heat and mass transfer systems. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Icing of surfaces is common in nature and technology, affecting everyday life and often causing catastrophic events. Despite progress in recent years in the area of hydrophobicity, engineered surfaces that can be employed in applications based on their intrinsic icephobicity, going beyond classical additional chemical coatings or heating treatments, are not a reality. Understanding and counteracting surface icing brings with it significant scientific challenges, which form an intersection of nucleation thermodynamics, interfacial thermofluidics and surface nanoengineering/science. This project will investigate important mesoscale phenomena (a term used here to summarily describe phenomena manifesting themselves in the spatial range from the order of a nanometer to a hundred microns), which affect the behavior of water on surfaces with respect to icing. With the resulting, unifying knowledge base, the aim is to identify pathways for the design and fabrication of a new class of intrinsically icephobic surfaces, based on their a-priori engineered composition and texture. Our aim is to identify anti-nucleation and anti-wetting phenomena, leading to surfaces having long ice nucleation time scales, low water contact and retention, and low ice adhesion. The effects of surface texture curvature on ice nucleation, local liquid confinement on freezing point depression, and mesoscale texture features on interfacial thermofluidics, have intertwined and sometimes counteracting impacts on surface icing behavior, which we aim at unraveling, to determine pathways to high performance surfaces. Connected to all this is the employment of advanced surface texture fabrication and methods to perform the necessary experiments, lending consideration to the development of such surfaces for future applications. Beyond icephobicity, this research has clear implications to the characterization of mesoscale phase change phenomena, for multiphase heat and mass transfer processes and devices. Fields of science natural sciencesphysical sciencesthermodynamicsnatural scienceschemical sciencespolymer sciencesengineering and technologymaterials engineeringcoating and filmsnatural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsnatural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrymetalloids Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-ADG-2014 - ERC Advanced Grant Call for proposal ERC-2014-ADG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant Host institution EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH Net EU contribution € 2 498 043,00 Address Raemistrasse 101 8092 Zuerich Switzerland See on map Region Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Zürich Zürich Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 2 498 043,00 Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH Switzerland Net EU contribution € 2 498 043,00 Address Raemistrasse 101 8092 Zuerich See on map Region Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Zürich Zürich Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 2 498 043,00
