Temperature-dependent bouncing of super-cooled water on teflon-coated superhydrophobic tungsten nanorods

Abstract The bouncing mechanism of warm and supercooled water droplets with temperatures ranging from 20 °C to −10 °C on the surface of superhydrophobic (SHP) tungsten nanorods (WNRs), held at a constant temperature of −10 °C, was investigated. The measurements were carried out inside a chamber kept at a low relative humidity of 20%. A considerable energy loss was observed mainly due to the increase in the viscous forces of the supercooled water droplet. The increase in the values of the capillary number, as a result of the variation in both viscosity and surface energy of the supercooled water droplet, has confirmed the significant role of viscous forces in the dissipation of bouncing energy. However, the contact time and contact line evolution of the supercooled water droplet on the surface remained unaffected by the decrease in its temperature at constant humidity. The calculations of the bouncing restitution and dissipated energy at various water droplet temperatures, using classical mechanics, were also carried out.