Everyone knows it: If you get into your car early in the morning in winter and the windshield is frozen over, your first choice is usually the ice scraper. Window de-icers promise significantly less effort and no cold hands. But how do these actually work?
De-icer sprays consist of a mixture of alcohols, such as isopropanol and glycerin. Isopropanol lowers the freezing point of the water on the pane and causes the ice to melt. Glycerin is a sticky liquid and evaporates much less quickly than other alcohols. The glycerin is added so that the de-icer stays on the car window longer and prevents ice from forming again.
The principle that certain substances can lower the freezing point of water is also used in nature. An example of this are fish living in the Arctic. They produce antifreeze proteins and glycerin to hibernate safely in cold water.
Andrea Stöllner is a physicist at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and a passionate science communicator. Stöllner deals with earth and environmental sciences, specifically with the atmosphere and clouds. To do this, she captures aerosol particles – small particles suspended in the air – with lasers in order to research them.
Photo:
Mia Meus_ISTA
Although it may seem tempting, hot water is not a recommended method for removing ice. The rapid temperature difference could cause cracks in the windshield as the glass on the side that has been doused with water expands faster than on the other, still cold side.
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