American scientists develop highly efficient solution for icy roads

People living in cold countries constantly run into trouble with infrastructure. Ice is detrimental towards equipment, roads and airstrips, which is why experts are actively engaged in developing new devices and materials to get rid of it.

American scientists from the University of Illinois in Chicago have created a next-generation anti-icing material. It is made up of phase-switching liquids that extract warmth out of drops of water. This is what prevents the formation of an icy crust.

At the temperature that takes water from solid to liquid state (0 degrees Celsius), this material remains solid, which makes it a reliable ally in the fight against unfavourable weather conditions.

Researchers claim that their innovation is approximately 300 times more effective than any other anti-icing materials currently on the market. The development has already been tested at various temperatures. All tests confirmed the material’s ability to accumulate warmth to delay ice and frost formation.