Effect of surface texturing on sliding behaviour of ice adhered to material surfaces

Ice adhesion on material surfaces creates significant safety and performance challenges in transportation, power generation, and infrastructure. Conventional de-icing methods typically rely on thermal input to induce melting, where heating at the ice–surface interface forms a thin water film that lowers shear strength and enables sliding. This study investigates how surface texturing can enhance de-icing efficiency by modulating surface wettability and thermal conductivity. Crown glass and acrylic plates were fabricated with four surface types: untextured (flat), mechanically roughened (rough), cylindrical (disk), and micropillars with rounded tips (rounded). Ice pillars were adhered to these surfaces and heated using a transparent film heater. Sliding initiation time, initiation temperature, and sliding velocity were measured, and surface wettability and water retention were evaluated using contact and sliding angle tests. On glass, thermal conductivity and mechanical interlocking due to surface textures strongly influenced initiation time. On acrylic, wettability dominated: hydrophilic textures promoted interfacial water film spreading and reduced initiation times. After sliding began, water retention governed velocity. Acrylic, which retained more water, exhibited water film breakage and reduced sliding velocity, while textured glass with low water retention achieved the highest velocities. These results demonstrate that surface texturing effectively controls water film formation and ice sliding behaviour, contributing to the development of smoother and more energy-efficient de-icing strategies. • Investigated the effect of surface texturing on de-icing under heating. • Wettability and mechanical interlocking influenced sliding initiation time. • Low water retention enhanced ice sliding velocity. • Insights into the development of more energy-efficient de-icing strategies.