Scientists discovered that polar bear fur's unique greasy compounds prevent ice formation, outperforming even ski waxes. This finding could inspire eco-friendly alternatives to traditional anti-icing materials.
iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5279474/nx-s1-5349379-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">hide caption's interest in polar bear fur began while she was watching a German quiz show.
Bodil initially thought that polar bear fur might have structural properties that prevent ice from forming. She and her colleagues used high-powered microscopes to zoom in on the fur, but"we couldn't really see anything special, they just looked normal," says Holst."We started to suspect, there's more to this than structure."
This combination makes polar bear fur highly resistant to freezing, Holst says. Lab tests showed that it performed about as well as fluorinated ski waxes, which have been banned in Norway for environmental reasons."That was quite amazing, that polar bear fur does just as well as these very superior skiing waxes" says Holst.
POLAR BEARS ANTI-ICING FUR GREASE ENVIRONMENT
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