Polar Bear Fur’s Pure Oil Prevents Ice Construct-Up, Research Finds

Polar bears depend on their thick fur and blubber to outlive within the Arctic, however latest analysis has revealed that their fur additionally performs an important function in stopping ice accumulation. Not like different cold-weather animals, which depend on structural variations in feathers or fur, polar bears profit from a pure oil that stops ice from sticking. The invention sheds gentle on how these animals stay stealthy whereas searching and will result in the event of eco-friendly anti-icing supplies throughout varied industries.
Research Identifies Oil as Key to Ice Resistance
In line with a examine revealed in Science Advances, researchers investigated whether or not the anti-icing impact of polar bear fur was attributable to its construction or chemical composition. Bodil Holst, a physicist on the College of Bergen, initially examined the microscopic construction of the fur, discovering it just like human hair. This led to additional assessments on the function of fur oil in stopping ice formation.
Chemist Julian Carolan from Trinity Faculty Dublin collaborated on experiments that concerned freezing blocks of ice onto totally different supplies, together with polar bear fur, human hair, and ski skins handled with fluorocarbons. The examine discovered that unwashed polar bear fur was as efficient as high-performance ski coatings, whereas washed fur required considerably extra drive to take away ice, highlighting the essential function of its pure oils.
Implications for Future Anti-Icing Applied sciences
Pirouz Kavehpour, a mechanical and aerospace engineer on the College of California, Los Angeles, famous to science.org that polar bears differ from penguins, whose feather construction supplies anti-icing advantages. The findings may encourage new coatings for skis, plane, and different surfaces, changing artificial chemical substances with environmentally pleasant options. Researchers imagine the particular ratio of glycerols and waxes in polar bear fur might be key to creating sustainable options.