Ice formation on surfaces is a common occurrence in nature and can have serious consequences in a variety of situations. Ice buildup can reduce the efficiency of electrical infrastructures such as wind turbines, compromise the structural integrity of power lines due to the weight of accumulated ice and snow, impair the functionality of devices due to the freezing of movable parts, and increase safety risks ranging from minor injuries due to slip and fall accidents to large fatal accidents in case of airplane icing. Superhydrophobic surfaces (SHSs) have been widely integrated into anti-icing strategies due to their potential to repel water and delay freezing. However, inconsistencies in the icephobic performance of SHSs have been observed across different studies, highlighting the complexity of ice formation on surfaces. In this work, SHSs are employed to prevent ice buildup under varying environmental conditions. Through the investigation of ice accumulation mechanisms, such as desublimation frosting and condensation freezing, alongside the examination of surface characteristics like nanoscale porous structures and effective superhydrophobic surface area, this study sheds light on the discrepancies in icephobic performance reported in the literature. Based on these findings, a step-by-step assessment procedure is proposed for evaluating the anti-icing performance of SHSs, with the goal of developing a rational strategy tailored to specific environmental conditions. Moreover, a novel method utilizing a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) is introduced for the real-time evaluation of the anti-icing properties of SHSs. This technique provides valuable insights into condensate and ice accumulation behavior on SHSs. It is a simple and rapid approach, capable of assessing multiple anti-icing properties in a single measurement, making it an efficient tool for comprehensive performance evaluation.
