Dynamic and Static Test Methods: Quantifying the Shear Strength at the Interface of Iced Substrates

Surfaces with low ice adhesion are crucial for many technological and societal applications. However, comparing the performance of different surface coatings still represents a major challenge, given the broad range of ice accretion and removal conditions. One of the most common methodologies relies on measuring ice adhesion, which is often quantified by the shear strength of the ice-substrate interface. Nevertheless, large discrepancies up to one order of magnitude exist among the shear strength values reported in the literature for similar test conditions. This work compares shear strength measurements between two inherently different ice adhesion measurement techniques: (i) a dynamic, vibratory approach and (ii) a more traditional static push test on a horizontal surface. By employing a hybrid experimental and numerical approach, the shear strength is obtained for both techniques. This approach allows a direct correlation between a low-complexity static setup and a dynamic test rig, close to the operating conditions of vibratory applications but more challenging to implement. As such, this study enables a better understanding and design of ice adhesion measurement procedures for testing both traditional and icephobic surfaces.