Ice adhesion

Ice adhesion - ice sticking to surface

Water droplet can either stick to the icing surface or bounce of it on collision. A supercooled droplet will not bounce, it will stick to the surface regardless of whether it is dry or wet. Supercooled droplets freeze immediately, and other droplets either freeze or join the water layer on the surface. Conversely, snow particles do not stick so easily. Factors like impact velocity, humidity and temperature, and particle features like wetness affect the sticking efficiency. Dry particles bounce more easily if there is no liquid layer, and lower impact speeds increase sticking efficiency.

Impact velocity of the particle influences the ice type. The water droplet’s time to freeze on the surface is important because droplet moves on it. Impact velocity increasing means that the sticking efficiency decreases.

Ice accretion and adhesion is also affected by material properties.