The solidification phenomenon of the supercooled water containing solid particles

The effect of solid particles on the freezing of the supercooled water was investigated. Silver iodide was selected as the solid particle, and several types of contaminants were prepared. The size of the particle and wetability of the surface were varied to three, and two types, respectively. The amount of the particle was also varied. The sample water was put into a test tube and cooled at a constant cooling rate until the water solidified. The relationship between the degree of supercooling at freezing and various variables were investigated. Then, an analytical method to predict the results was introduced. It was found that the results agreed quite well with the experiments. Hence, it was concluded that the freezing temperature does not depend upon the size of the solid particle nor its amount, but is decided by the total area exposed to the water. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd and IIR, All rights reserved.