Engineers develop method of preventing frost formation

In their study, the researchers found that modifying the texture of any surface and adding a thin layer of graphene oxide prevents 100 per cent of frost from forming on surfaces for one week or potentially longer.

The new scalable surface design - which is said to be resistant to cracks, scratches and contamination - could be incorporated into infrastructure and assets and bring considerable savings in averted maintenance costs and energy inefficiencies. The research is detailed in Science Advances.

In a statement, study lead Kyoo-Chul Kenneth Park said: The 2021 power crisis in Texas cost $195bn in damages, resulting directly from frost, ice and extreme cold conditions for more than 160 hours. Thus, it is critical to develop anti-frosting techniques, which are robust for long periods of time in extreme environmental conditions. It is also necessary to develop anti-frosting methods which are easy to fabricate and implement. We designed our hybrid anti-frosting technique with all of these needs in mind. It can prevent frosting for potentially weeks at a time and is scalable, durable and easily fabricated through 3D printing.”