Multimedia Gallery
The Discovery FilesFreeze-Dry
In a new study, a passive anti-frosting surface fashioned out of an aluminum sheet provides a proof of concept for keeping surfaces 90 percent dry and frost free indefinitely -- all without any chemicals or energy inputs. The material manages this thanks to "ice stripes" -- microscopic raised grooves on the surface -- and it could help prevent the kind of ice buildup that leads to power outages and flight delays, potentially reducing the billions of dollars spent on such events.
Credit: National Science Foundation/Karson Productions
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