The new insights could be useful both when it is desirable
to have
droplets stick
to surfaces, such as in some kinds of 3 - D printers,
to help make sure each printed layer
adheres thoroughly
to the previous layer, and when it's important
to prevent
droplets from sticking, such as on airplane wings in icy weather.
Experiments and simulations showed that a water
droplet on a repellent
surface will freeze upward into a microscopic six - armed formation that resembles an idealized snowflake, with only a small portion of its base
adhering to the
surface.