Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have discovered the secret behind polar bear fur's ability to resist ice buildup, shedding light on their survival strategy in freezing climates. The study found that a unique combination of cholesterol, diacylglycerols, and fatty acids in their fur sebum (grease) prevents ice from adhering effectively. This finding not only advances our understanding of polar bear biology but also holds potential for developing new anti-icing materials with applications in various fields, including ski technology.
Discovery by scientists including researchers at TCD could lead to ‘next-gen ski skins used by skiers and snowboarders’
The finding sheds new light on the polar bear species but also Inuit ecology. It could lead to a suite of unrelated applications, with a similar concoction of artificially made sebum as an anti-ice surface coating, “or in next-gen ski skins used by skiers and snowboarders”. “We measured ice adhesion strength, which is a useful measure of how well ice sticks to fur; hydrophobicity, which dictates whether water can be shed before it freezes; and freezing delay time, which simply shows how long it takes for a drop of water to freeze at certain temperatures on a given surface.”
They were surprised to find “squalene” was absent. This fatty metabolite is in human hair, and that of aquatic animals such as sea otters, which suggests its absence in polar bear hair is very important from an anti-icing perspective. “This work not only represents the first study of the composition of polar bear fur sebum, but it also resolves the question of why polar bears don’t suffer from ice accumulation,” Dr Hobbs said.
POLAR BEARS FUR ANII-ICING SCIENCE INNOVATION
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