Breaking the record for the last freezing point of water

Water is transformed into ice (Image: GettyImages).

The transformation of water into ice is one of the essential elements in a natural process. Accordingly, climate fluctuations, cloud dynamics, and water cycles are all affected by water-ice variability, including by animals that live in frozen environments.

By creating ice from droplets only a few hundred molecules in size, researchers have pushed the freezing point of water lower than ever and changed what we already know about how ice forms. .

As a general rule, water will start to freeze at 32 degrees F (0 degrees C). In reality, however, water can actually be liquid in a range of cold temperatures under certain conditions. So far, it is believed that this range stops at -36 F (-38 degrees C). At this temperature, the water is forced to freeze.

But based on a study published Nov. 30 in the journal Nature Communications, researchers have kept water droplets liquid at temperatures as low as -47.2 F (-44 degrees C).

To do this, the researchers created a "micro" water particle consisting of 275 water molecules, 150 nanometers in size - slightly larger than the flu virus.

Microscopic water droplets begin to freeze (Image: GettyImages).

They then coat it with octane, an oil, which allows the droplets to take on a more rounded shape with greater pressure. This element is essential to prevent freezing at low temperatures.

The researchers also found that the smaller the droplet size, the colder the ice must be. For droplets that are 10 nanometers or less, the rate of ice formation is significantly reduced.

Hadi Ghasemi, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Houston who co-authored the study, said the discovery could have huge implications for ice prevention on man-made materials, such as in aeronautical and energy systems.

According to Hadi, if water on soft surfaces takes longer to freeze, engineers can incorporate a mixture of soft and hard materials into the design to prevent ice from accumulating on those surfaces.

According to Live Science