Enhanced premelting of ice in contact with hydrophilic polymer films

Premelting is an interfacial phenomenon with practical consequences such as the contribution to the slipperiness of ice. In many situations ice is in contact with opposing materials. We have explored the effect of opposing materials on the premelting behavior of ice by using a resonance shear measurement setup. Interestingly, contact with polyvinyl alcohol polymer films caused enhanced premelting. These results provide information about the nature of ice interfaces and can lead to a better understanding of friction on ice.