Thermal analysis study on water freezing and supercooling

Water freezing and supercooling were experimentally studied by methods of thermal analysis in a water droplet of 5 mm in diameter depending on various temperatures and times of overheating and cooling rates. Degree of water supercooling was influenced by previous thermal treatment but only to a certain extent. It increased slightly with overheating temperature and time and decreased with cooling rate. Maximum found values of supercooling ranged between 12 and 13 K. Small degrees of supercooling and their changes indicate that water freezing was more controlled by heterogeneous nucleation (properties of container contact surface) than by previous thermal treatment and experimental conditions.