Frost growth on silver iodide (AgI) stripe patterned surface under condensation frosting condition

• AgI stripes first used to manage frost, highlighting innovative control. • UV-lithography employed for scalable AgI pattern fabrication, presenting a new surface engineering method. • Quantitative analysis of frost growth is processed through machine learning techniques. • Experimental and theoretical work reveals keys to a frost-free zone. This study investigates frost accumulation on surfaces with silver iodide (AgI) patterns to control initial formation of liquid droplets and subsequent frost growth under condensation frosting condition. AgI is known as one of the most effective nucleation agents, and a novel UV-lithography technique is adopted to fabricate scalable AgI patterns on a silicon substrate. Image processing with the help of machine learning provided quantitative information of frost evolution dynamics. Frost preferentially initiated from the AgI striped patterns, and showed horizontal crystal growth. Eventually, frost-free zones appeared in between the stripes. In addition to experimental observation, mass balance analysis identified the influential factors and parameters that influence the formation of a complete frost-free zone. Present approach using AgI patterns offers a promising approach to control initial frost formation under condensation frosting condition, which may contribute to mitigate negative effects of frost in diverse applications.