This is Why Polar Bear Fur Does not Freeze

Nanophysicist Bodil Holst at the University of Bergen has investigated why polar bear fur does not freeze into ice. Now the research into the ice-repellent properties of polar bear fur has been published in Science Advances.

Holst is the first to investigate why polar bear fur does not freeze. Polar bears are invisible to infrared cameras, indicating that their fur is at the same temperature as their surroundings. How do they manage to jump into the water, be so well insulated and not get covered in ice?

Experiments showed that polar bear fur has as good ice-repelling properties as the best fluorinated ski climbing skins. The answer to the anti-icing properties lies in the sebum in the coat.

The researchers have found that polar bear fur has a low ability to hold onto ice, much like materials coated with special chemicals such as fluorocarbons.

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