Heat transfer is an unsteady process in the initial period of ice nucleation or phase transition from aqueous solution. During this period the latent heat of freezing increases the temperature in bulk solution monotonously until the system reaches equilibrium. Meanwhile heat can transfer from the solution to the environment or vise versa. The analysis of this unsteady heat transfer process leads to the establishment of a mathematical model, which is represented by two simultaneous differential equations. Using the Laplace transform and inverse transform, and incorporating the initial condition of ice nucleation, we obtained an analytical solution of this model. Further discussion of the model's fitness by comparing to the experimental data leads to a recognition that ice fouling (or ice adhesion) on the cooler wall should be highlighted in estimating the heat transfer resistance at the very beginning of the ice formation. The model fits to the experimental data satisfactorily. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.