Geometry optimization of laser-induced stress concentration sites on hydrophobic surfaces for low ice adhesionHadžić, Armin (Avtor) Može, Matic (Avtor) ice adhesion strengthanti-icinglaser texturingstress concentrationPDMShydrophobic surfacescrack initiationWater and ice accumulation on engineering surfaces present significant challenges in numerous applications by increasing weight, altering aerodynamic and hydrodynamic performance, inducing vibrations, and reducing operational reliability. Passive low-ice-adhesion surfaces therefore represent a promising strategy for reducing the energy and mechanical load needed for ice removal. One possible approach is to introduce controlled surface features that promote stress concentration at the ice–solid interface and facilitate ice detachment. However, if such features are too densely distributed or too large, they may also increase mechanical interlocking with ice. Therefore, this study investigates how the size and pitch of laser-induced square features affect the ice adhesion strength of hydrophobized aluminum surfaces. Square features were fabricated on 1050 A aluminum alloy by nanosecond laser texturing and subsequently functionalized with a thin PDMS coating. The side length of the square spots was varied between 150 and 300 μm, while the center-to-center pitch was systematically varied from 0.5 to 4.0 mm. The surfaces were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, optical profilometry, and apparent static contact angle measurements, while ice adhesion strength was evaluated by horizontal shear detachment of a 20 × 20 × 20 mm$^{3}$ ice cube at −20 °C. The results showed that spot pitch is the key geometrical parameter governing ice adhesion. At the smallest pitch of 0.5 mm, all textured surfaces exhibited higher ice adhesion than the bare reference surface, indicating that densely arranged features promoted mechanical interlocking rather than crack-assisted debonding. With increasing pitch, ice adhesion decreased and reached a minimum at intermediate pitch values, reducing adhesion by up to 65% relative to the PDMS-coated reference surface. These findings show that laser-induced surface geometry must be carefully optimized, since the same type of surface feature can either reduce or increase ice adhesion depending on its size and spacing.20262026-07-27 13:10:19Članek v reviji185192UDK: 621.9.048:532.21ISSN pri članku: 2515-7639DOI: 10.1088/2515-7639/ae8bdaCOBISS_ID: 286116611sl