An experimental determination of the surface energies of ice

Abstract

A direct experimental method has been used to determine the magnitudes of the ice-water vapour, ice-water, and ice-ice (grain boundary) surface free energies. The magnitudes were found to be 109, 33 and 65 erg/cm², respectively, at 0°C. The experimental results indicate that the grain boundary surface free energy varies slightly with the mismatch between the grains but that variations with crystal orientation of the ice-water vapour and the ice-water surface free energies are small.