[I]via: [/I]EurekAlert!
[release]
[B]Artificially controlling water condensation leads to 'room-temperature ice'[/B]
College Park, MD (July 27, 2010) -- Earth's climate is strongly influenced by the presence of particles of different shapes and origins -- in the form of dust, ice and pollutants -- that find their way into the lowest portion of the atmosphere, the troposphere. There, water adsorbed on the surface of these particles can freeze at higher temperatures than pure water droplets, triggering rain and snow.
Researchers at Spain's Centre d'Investigació en Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (CIN2) have studied the underlying mechanisms of water condensation in the troposphere and found a way to make artificial materials to control water condensation and trigger ice formation at room temperature. Described in the [I]Journal of Chemical Physics[/I], which is published by the American Institute of Physics, their work may lead to new additives for snowmaking, improved freezer systems, or new coatings that help grow ice for skating rinks.
"Several decades ago, scientists predicted that materials with crystal faces exhibiting a structure similar to that of hexagonal ice, the form of all natural snow and ice on Earth, would be an ideal agent to induce freezing and trigger rain," explains Dr. Albert Verdaguer. "This explanation has since proven to be insufficient."
The research team chose to study barium fluoride (BaF2), a naturally occurring mineral, also known as "Frankdicksonite," as an option. They examined water adsorption on BaF2 (111) surfaces under ambient conditions using different scanning force microscopy modes and optical microscopy to zoom in on the role atomic steps play in the structure of water films, which can affect the stabilization of water bilayers and, ultimately, condensation.
Despite having the desired hexagonal structure, BaF2 turned out to be a poor ice-nucleating material. But oddly enough, other researchers had discovered that when the mineral's surface has defects, its condensation efficiency is enhanced.
Verdaguer and his colleagues figured out why this occurs. "Under ambient conditions -- room temperature and different humidities -- we observed that water condensation is mainly induced by the formation of two-dimensional ice-like patches at surface defects," Verdaguer says. "Based on our results and previous research, we're preparing artificial materials to improve water condensation in a controllable way."
The next step? The researchers' goal now is to produce environmentally-friendly synthetic materials for efficiently inducing snow. "If water condenses in an ordered way, such as a hexagonal structure, on such surfaces at ambient conditions, the term 'room temperature ice' would be fully justified," adds Verdaguer. "The solid phase, ice, would be produced by a surface effect rather than as a consequence of temperature. In the long term, we intend to prepare smart materials, 'intelligent surfaces,' that will react to water in a predefined way."[/release]
[url=http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-07/aiop-acw072710.php]Source[/url]
Cool
"I'll have a scotch on the rocks. Room temperature ice please."
Why not invent permanently cold Cola instead?
well that's counter-productive
Dr. Pepper that doesn't go flat.
A man can dream.
Sweet now we can test the durability and strength of high pressure ices.
This could work as training for going to Europa :science:
So can we use this as a temporary measure to stop the icecaps melting?
Fucking awesome week for science.
This is beneficial to the world, how?
Badass nonetheless.
Frankdicksonite
:laugh:
They should genetically engineer birds that know when to not poop on your windshield.
Doesn't that defeat the purpose of ice?
Not all people understand that room-temperature ice is not cold
Pour that shit to the public pool :smug:
[b]Scientists Create Luke-Warm Molten Lava[/b]
[QUOTE=peabrain101;23712204][b]Scientists Create Luke-Warm Molten Lava[/b][/QUOTE]
Now that would be awesome
[QUOTE=M3tis;23712146]Doesn't that defeat the purpose of ice?[/QUOTE]
You say it like normal ice has a purpose :raise:
[QUOTE=Skyhawk;23711783]This is beneficial to the world, how?
Badass nonetheless.[/QUOTE]
Ski slopes in mountainous but warm countries.
Frankdicksonite
Wat
[QUOTE=Maxx;23711572]Why not invent permanently cold Cola instead?[/QUOTE]
The ice isn't cold though. It's just room temperature.
In order to create permanently cold cola you'd have to develop a chemical that repels heat. Which is something completely different (and something that does not obey the laws of thermodynamics)
[QUOTE=bravehat;23712244]You say it like normal ice has a purpose :raise:[/QUOTE]
Cooling delicious beverages...
[QUOTE=Kingy_who;23712254]Ski slopes in mountainous but warm countries.[/QUOTE]
This alone gives it enormous potential. Do you have any idea how huge some places are for skiing because of the natural snow created there? I was just in Stowe, Vermont, where the whole town is dedicated to skiing. Imagine that, but on the equator or something. That would rake in millions upon millions.
[QUOTE=M3tis;23712356]Cooling delicious beverages...[/QUOTE]
Ice has been around longer than beverages thouygh what you said Implied that ice has some purpose written out for it from the beggining of time.
Either way if we can use the same techniques they used to make this ice to make super dense ices we have a new construction material :v:
[QUOTE=Kingy_who;23712254]Ski slopes in mountainous but warm countries.[/QUOTE]
:aaaaa:
Ice cube lamps.
They are so cool!
It's a basic thermodynamics principle, varying pressure influences the critical temperatures. L2physics
[img]http://www.knowledgerush.com/wiki_image/d/dc/Phase-diag.png[/img]
To better visualize the above poster.
[QUOTE=DoctorSalt;23712966][img]http://www.knowledgerush.com/wiki_image/d/dc/Phase-diag.png[/img]
To better visualize the above poster.[/QUOTE]
Thank you kindly dear sir.
Also, you can't have ski slopes in warm regions without having them contained in a super high pressure container that will certainly make your bowels spew out of your body.
Same goes for ice-caps and everything else people mentioned here. Unless you can control the air pressure around them, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE. Remember, this was done in a LAB!
We're just one step closer to upsetting the natural order and causing all reality to collapse like a dead alcoholic at Oktoberfest.
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