The network is excited to share the variety of events where the SURFICE network has been actively engaged. Over the course of the first half of our academic journey, our participation extended to 15 distinct events. These occasions, spanning across nine different countries, not only facilitated the exchange of knowledge and collaboration but also addressed the specific themes of icephobicity, anti-icing applications, and surface freezing mechanisms.
This dynamic series of events provided an exceptional platform for our Early Stage Researchers to refine their communication skills, and in doing so, enriched their understanding of these crucial fields on a global scale. The participation was diverse, featuring oral presentations, online talks, and engaging poster displays, all of which can be found in the Conferences section for those interested in delving deeper into our contributions.
Early in 2022, Gabriel Hernandez, ESR6, set the stage by initiating discussions about his recent findings at the E-MRS Online Spring Meeting 2022. During the event, he presented his insights on ‘Deposition and Assessment of Gradient Polymers via Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition (iCVD) for Advancing Anti-Icing Applications.’
Milan, Italy
Later, Anny Catalina Ospina – ESR2 participated in International Symposium on Polymer Analysis and Characterization-ISPAC 2022 (June 5-8, 2022) and Science Communication School (October 9-13, 2022) events . During the former, she presented a poster on the “Fabrication of dual-scale roughness superhydrophobic coatings for icephobicity” and in the later, the same poster was commented by the assistants in order to improve the communication strategies.
Montagnana, Italy
Rome, Italy
Continuing the journey, Andrea Maslov –ESR8 presented his research on “Nanoscale modeling of ice nucleation on cold solid substrates for anti-icing applications” at the Symposium for YouNg Chemists: Innovation and Sustainability-SYNC conference (June 20 -23, 2022).
A few days later, from June 27 to 30, 2022, the Coatings Science International conference (CoSI) took place in Noordwijk, The Netherlands. During this event, Miisa Tavaststjerna-ESR7 had the opportunity to showcase her captivating poster titled ‘The Influence of the Molecular Water Layer (MWL) on Surface Freezing Mechanisms.’ Her presentation not only shed light on surface freezing phenomena but also demonstrated her inclination towards presenting scientific findings in an engaging and illustrative manner. Her approach was so effective that it earned her the Creativity and Innovation Award, highlighting her outstanding ability to merge scientific rigor with creativity.
Noordwijk, The Netherlands
Later, at the prestigious International Conference of the Aeronautical Science- ICAS conference in September 2022, held in Stockolm, Sweden, Giulia Gastaldo-ESR9 made a remarkable contribution. Her oral presentation on “Stress and energy release rate influence on ice shedding with resonant electro-mechanical de-icing systems” not only introduced a new qualification impact test for aerospace smart structures but also emphasized the crucial role of stress and energy release in ice shedding mechanisms.
Concluding the eventful year, Carlo Antonini delivered an invited online lecture in December 2022 at UESTC Institute, Chengdu, China. Titled “Formulating a rational framework for the design of icephobic surfaces: a SURFICE story,” the talk highlighted the importance of an organized approach in the creation of icephobic surfaces, encapsulating the essence of the SURFICE project’s narrative.
Graz, Austria
As we moved into 2023, during February, the Field of Expertise, Advanced Materials Science conference in Graz, Austria, witnessed Gabriel Hernandez’s poster presentation on “Icephobic gradient polymer coatings deposited via iCVD – An approach for ice mitigation.”
Gabriel’s insights highlighted the tremendous potential of gradient polymers in mitigating ice formation. He presented also an oral presentation in the topic in April, during the 11th International Conference on Hot-Wire (Catalytic) Chemical Vapor Deposition, held in Jülich, Germany.
Later that month, Miisa Tavaststjerna’s outstanding work on “Low Icing Surfaces – The Effect of Patterning on Surface Freezing Mechanisms” was recognized at the Dutch Polymer Days in Lunteren and in the PhD Academic Event of the Aerospace Engineering Faculty of TU Delft. Again, her poster won the Technology award in Dutch Polymer Days and the Best Poster Price in the PhD Academic Event, highlighting the quality and impact of her research in the field of polymer science and icephobicity.
In June 2023, there was an important participation form the network in the Interfreezing school, in Corsica, France. In the event, focused on ice formation events Miisa, Gabriel and Navid- ESR 11 presented their results in the poster format.
Corsica, France
Furthermore, in May 2023, Gabriel Hernandez once again showcased his research on at the EUROCVD 23 / Baltic ALD conference in Leuven. His oral presentation emphasized the vast potential of iCVD in advancing anti-icing technologies.
In June 2023, Andrea Maslov, had the chance to present his work on a novel methodology to analyze water contact angles from Molecular Dynamics simulations at the X International conference of computational methods for Coupled Problems in Science and Engineering held in Crete, Greece.
Crete, Greece
At the SAE International Icing Conference in June 2023 held in Vienna, Austria, there was a powerful presence of the SURFICE network.
- The project coordinator, Carlo Antonini, gave an oral presentation introducing the project and ensuring wider awareness and understanding of its objectives among conference attendees.
- Valérie Pommier-Budinger, Pau Riera-ESR12, Luca Stendardo-ESR1, and Giulia Gastaldo-ESR9 delivered captivating presentations based on their conference papers.
- Ilia Roisman, Gabriel Hernandez-ESR6, and Miisa Tavaststjerna-ESR7 offered valuable insights through their oral presentations.
- Mingyue Ding-ESR3, Ali Raza Shaikh-ESR4, and Navid Mostofi Sarkari-ESR11 showcased their recent work through engaging poster presentations.
Vienna, Austria
To end up with this wrapping up session, Theodoros, ESR 13 shared in Liverpool, England his last results in the UK colloids 2023 in July 2023.
Liverpool, England
In addition to presenting our research, these events and conferences provided valuable opportunities for networking and engaging in discussions with experts from diverse backgrounds. Through these interactions, we fostered meaningful connections and expanded our network within the field of icephobicity and anti-icing applications. We are excited about the potential collaborations and future developments that may arise from these connections, further advancing our knowledge and impact in this important area of research!
Don’t forget to explore the available informative posters and stay tunned!