Effects of Environmental Temperature and Trapped Air Bubbles on the Mechanical Properties of Ice Cubes

Ice is a widespread material in natural and industrial fields. Trapped air bubbles form in ice cubes due to the differences in the solubility of air in ice and water, which directly affects the mechanical strength of the ice cubes. To investigate the effects of environmental temperature and trapped air bubbles on the mechanical properties of ice cubes, a series of experiments are designed and carried out. A mathematical model that predicts the mechanical strength of ice cubes with an accuracy over 80% is developed and validated. The results show that even a volume content of trapped air bubbles in an ice cube as low as 1.98% can greatly impact the mechanical properties. This model reveals the mechanisms and principles governing the influences of environmental temperature and bubble volume content on the mechanical strength of ice cubes. As the environmental temperature decreases from 0 to −20 °C, the compressive strength of clear ice cubes increases from 1.71 to 2.10 MPa, while that of bubble ice cubes increases from 1.58 to 1.95 MPa. This study has implications for utilizing trapped air bubbles to regulate the mechanical properties of ice and for optimizing various mechanical deicing techniques.