Role of geometry and adhesion in droplet freezing dynamics

Abstract

We propose a thermal and geometrical analytical model for the freezing front dynamics of a spherical drop. The growth is characterized by an effective diffusion coefficient that increases as the substrate temperature decreases and a spherical front that meets the edges of the drop perpendicularly. We compare our model with experimental data for substrate temperature ranging from -9 to -80 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. We highlight the importance of heat diffusion in the liquid and the adhesion of drops to the substrate that decreases at low temperature.