I notice they mentioned application of this to polar shipping, but NOT to reducing icing on aircraft wings, e.g., which seems to me, a non-expert on all things, to be a far more important technological application. Hmm... perplexing. But interesting anyway.
Can you think of other possibly important applications for this "discovery"?
This could be used to prevent icing on power lines so they do not get weighed down.
There have been several attempts at making ice-free surfaces for various applications such as aviation. Many of them involve using engineered nanostructured surfaces.
The problem with nanostructured surfaces, or even larger, microscopic surface features is that they wear off very quickly. Kind of like Rain-X on you windshield. It lasts for a while but gradually small bits of dust blast the coating away.
I have a project at work which involves freezing a solution. We wanted to use metal molds but have found ice sticks to all metals and even Teflon. Can’t use nanostructured surfaces because the molds would wear out too quickly.
The article doesn’t make any sense. Anything will freeze whenever it’s temperature goes below it’s own freezing point. It doesn’t matter what the condition of its surrounding material is. It could be solid, liquid, or gas. The article seems to indicate that the mussels’ surface can shed ice particles easily, but it doesn’t explain at why it doesn’t itself freeze.
Puget Sound Mussels simmered in coconut milk and lemon grass.
Mighty fine eatin’.
I love scallops.
I’m hungry.
