High Reynolds number oscillating contact lines

Spontaneous imbibition in microchannels is a critical phenomenon in various industrial applications, such as enhanced oil recovery and microfluidic systems. One of the key factors influencing the imbibition process is the dynamic wetting effect, which governs the interaction between the liquid and solid surfaces. This paper improves the original pseudopotential model for interfluid forces by coupling it with the Peng-Robinson equation of state. The model's accuracy is verified through thermodynamic consistency checks, simulations of gas-liquid interfacial tensions, and testing of static equilibrium contact angles. Following model validation, we use it to simulate spontaneous gas-liquid imbibition in microchannels and investigate dynamic contact angle evolution during the process. The results demonstrate that (1) as the microchannel width increases, inertia forces become more significant during the initial imbibition stages, leading to a greater difference between the dynamic and static contact angles. (2) A decrease in fluid-solid interaction strength results in a larger gap between dynamic and static contact angles. (3) Higher interfacial tension strengthens the capillary forces, accelerating the imbibition rate and enlarging the difference between the dynamic and static contact angles. Furthermore, the dynamic contact angle data obtained from our simulations can be used to correct the traditional Lucas-Washburn equation. The corrected equation predicts imbibition distances that closely match the simulation results.

Dynamic wetting characteristics during droplet formation in a microfluidic T-junction

On the effect of static and dynamic contact angles on humid air condensation heat transfer

Numerical contact line behavior prediction for droplet-wall impact by the modified Hoffman-function-based dynamic contact angle model

Static nanodroplets and dynamic contact line (CL) movements were visualized by an in situ transmission electron microscope (TEM) liquid cell technique at nanometer spatial resolution. Crawling and sliding movements of nanoscale CL were observed. The crawling happened at a capillary number (Ca) range of ∼10-9 to ∼10-8, and the sliding happened at a Ca range of ∼10-8 to ∼10-7. Three dimensional (3D) image construction had been employed to study static and dynamic contact angles (CAs) at nanoscale. CA hysteresis at nanoscale was observed in the sliding but not in the crawling. The energies associated with sliding were analyzed to investigate the CA hysteresis. An empirical model of the relationship between nanoscale CAs and Ca was developed. Both the experimental observation and the empirical analysis suggested that the competition among substrate defect, CL elastic, and molecular activation energies dictated different CL movements at nanoscale.

Fluid management issues in an immersion lithography system include the retention of the liquid (i.e., prevention of residual liquid on the wafer) and the possible entrainment of gas bubbles within the immersion fluid. Three key parameters strongly influence the control of fluid within the lens gap: the static liquid/resist contact angle, the contact angle hysteresis, and the dynamic contact angle characteristics. This article presents a comprehensive set of data for these parameters on silicon wafers coated with six different photoresists and describes the experimental apparatus and data reduction techniques used to collect the data. Measurements for six candidate photoresists, one with a top-coat, indicate that air entrainment due to contact line motion is highly unlikely for typical immersion lithography systems. However, significant contact angle hysteresis does exist that may lead to meniscus failure and to the deposition of droplets at low to moderate wafer velocities. In addition, the receding dynamic contact angle can approach zero on some surfaces, leading to liquid film deposition.

Effect of NaCl and MIBC/kerosene on bitumen displacement by water on a glass surface

Experimental investigation into coal wettability changes caused by reactions with scCO2-H2O

Spray drying is a widely used unit operation for producing particulate products directly from a liquid feed. Important processes that occur inside the spray dryer are droplet formation, droplet drying and interactions between droplets and recycled fines. Various studies have looked at the first two processes, but the latter phenomenon has received less attention. Literature on droplet-particle interaction which aims at quantitatively describing agglomeration in spray drying is scarce and mainly qualitative. For product quality the formation of agglomerates is often desirable. This thesis models and investigates the collisions of individual particles with single droplets. The surface tack of drying droplets has been identified as an important variable for the formation of agglomerates. In this thesis a novel method for measuring tack from the liquid phase has been further improved. The improvements are a more accurate load measurement, an automated control of the tack probe and an improved layout of the sample holder and probe. The key feature of the device is its ability to measure tack of drying droplets, whereas other devices measure tack by wetting a powder. Using our method the tack of a commonly spray dried product, yeast extract, has been measured. From these experiments it was found that with decreasing average moisture content the surface tack increases to a maximum. Below a critical average moisture content the surface of the droplet is dry and the tack rapidly decreases upon further drying. Another important parameter in determining the degree of agglomeration is the degree of penetration. If the particle penetrates the droplet too deeply, the agglomerate structure becomes too dense. To predict the penetration depth, a non-dimensional model has been developed. It describes the penetration of a particle into a liquid droplet during a head-on collision. It is based on a force balance and incorporates surface tension force, viscous force and capillary pressure force. The important parameters determining the collision outcome are the contact angle, the size of the droplet relative to the particle, the Reynolds and Weber numbers. For each contact angle an equilibrium penetration position exists, at this point the surface tension force vector is perpendicular to the penetration direction. Five different penetrations regimes are identified. At low Reynolds numbers, viscous forces dominate and the particle asymptotically travels towards the equilibrium position. Reducing the viscous drag force by increasing the Reynolds number results in initially overshooting the equilibrium position, but the surface tension force pulls the particle back, to attain the equilibrium in an oscillating motion. At even higher Reynolds numbers the particle fully penetrates the droplet, and reaches the centre of the droplet for even higher values for the Reynolds number. The ejection regime is found at high Reynolds number and low Weber numbers and the liquid should be non-wetting. Using the regime maps one is able to identify in which region a spray dryer is operating. Although the full penetration regimes are useful for capturing fines, it should be avoided when agglomeration is desired. The ejection regime should be avoided as well. To validate the model, impact experiments were carried out by dropping glass spheres on the surface of different liquids. These validation experiments were the first attempt to experimentally validate the collision of a single particle with a liquid surface. Besides yeast extract, which has non-Newtonian rheological properties, silicone oils with constant viscosities of 100 mPa•s and 1 Pa•s have been tested. The penetration over time for different impact velocities was determined by analysing high speed camera recordings. The typical penetration times ranged from 0.2 s to 2 s. To obtain accurate location data was recorded at frame rates up to 38 000 frames per second. Glass spheres, with a size of 2 mm were used to allow the visual tracking. Modelling the impacts showed that the model consistently predicted faster penetration times than were observed experimentally. The relative difference increased with increasing viscosity. A parameter fitting exercise showed that better agreement could be obtained by using a higher viscosity and a higher contact angle in the model. With this knowledge the most likely factor influencing the model-experiment mismatch was identified as being the dynamics of wetting of the particle surface. It was also found that using the dynamic contact angle in the model would improve its results. The non-Newtonian characteristics of the yeast extract resulted in the particle rebound and the formation of an air cavity upon impact. The tack measurement technique and penetration model presented in this thesis will be useful tools for the design of spray dryers. Recommendations are made for further model improvement. The experimental validation is the first attempt to validate the presented model. Future improvements are recommended and suggestions are presented.

We report herein the preparation and UV-stimulated wettability conversion of superhydrophobic TiO2 surfaces, as well as the preparation of superhydrophilic−superhydrophobic patterns by use of UV irradiation through a photomask. A CF4 plasma was used to roughen smooth TiO2 sol−gel films to produce a nanocolumnar morphology, and subsequent hydrophobic modification with octadecylphosphonic acid (ODP) rendered the roughened surfaces superhydrophobic. The superhydrophobic properties of these surfaces were evaluated by both static and dynamic water contact angle (CA) measurements. It was found that the surface morphology of the TiO2 film, which was dependent on the etching time, has a great influence on the observed superhydrophobic properties. The nanocolumnar surface morphology exhibited large water CA and small contact angle hysteresis (CAH); this is discussed in terms of the Wenzel equation and the Cassie−Baxter equation. Under low-intensity UV illumination (1 mW cm-2), the superhydrophobic TiO2 surface underwent a gradual decrease of water CA and finally became superhydrophilic, due to photocatalytic decomposition of the ODP monolayer. Readsorption of ODP molecules led to the recovery of the superhydrophobic state. This UV-stimulated wettability conversion was employed to prepare superhydrophilic stripes (50 and 500 μm wide) on a superhydrophobic TiO2 surface. The pattern was able to guide water condensation, as well as the evaporation of a polystyrene microsphere suspension, due to the extremely large wettability contrast between superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic areas.

Summary Dynamics of droplet impact on solid surfaces is of great importance in many engineering applications such as ink-jet printing and rapid spray cooling of hot surfaces. In this study, the lattice kinetic scheme based on the lattice Boltzmann method for immiscible two-phase fluids [Inamuro (2006)] is applied to such micro-fluid problems. The present method enables us to perform stable calculations of two-phase flows with large density ratios of up to 1000. The boundary condition based on the wetting potential that is calculated according to a prescribed static contact angle is used on solid surfaces [Briant, Papatzacos, and Yeomans (2002)]. First, the dynamic behavior of a single droplet impinging on a horizontal wall is investigated for various Weber numbers. The dynamic contact angle, the contact line velocity, and the wet length are calculated, and found to be in good agreement with available experimental data. Next, the collision of a falling droplet with a stationary droplet on a solid surface is investigated. The behavior of the droplets and the mixing process during their collision are simulated for various impact velocities and several static contact angles on the solid surface. It is seen that mixing occurs around the rim of the coalescent droplet owing to the circular flows. Also, the relation between the mixing rate of the primary coalescent droplet and Weber number is obtained. Finally, adherence and bouncing of liquid droplets impacting on dry surfaces are examined for several Reynolds numbers based on the droplet diameter. These calculated results indicate that the present method can be a promising numerical approach to investigation of microscale droplet dynamics on solid surfaces.

In spite of the reported temperature dependent tunability in wettability of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) surfaces for below and above lower critical solution temperature (32 °C), the transport of water droplets is inhibited by the large contact angle hysteresis. Herein, for the first time, we report on-demand, fast, and reconfigurable droplet manipulation over a PNIPAAm grafted structured polymer surface using temperature-induced wettability gradient. Our study reveals that the PNIPAAm grafted on intrinsically superhydrophobic surfaces exhibit hydrophilic nature with high contact angle hysteresis below 30 °C and superhydrophobic nature with ultralow contact angle hysteresis above 36 °C. The transition region between 30 and 36 °C is characterized by a large change in water contact angle (∼100°) with a concomitant change in contact angle hysteresis. By utilizing this "transport zone" wherein driving forces overcome the frictional forces, we demonstrate macroscopic transport of water drops with a maximum transport velocity of approximately 40 cm/s. The theoretical calculations on the force measurements concur with dominating behavior of driving forces across the transport zone. The tunability in transport velocity by varying the temperature gradient along the surface or the inclination angle of the surface (maximum angle of 15° with a reduced velocity 0.4 mm/s) is also elucidated. In addition, as a practical application, coalescence of water droplets is demonstrated by using the temperature controlled wettability gradient. The presented results are expected to provide new insights on the design and fabrication of smart multifunctional surfaces for applications such as biochemical analysis, self-cleaning, and microfluidics.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the wettability of commercial Vinyl Polysiloxane (VPS) impression materials by measuring contact angles on horizontal and non-horizontal surfaces using artificial saliva. Materials and Methods: Three light bodies (Affinis (Affi); Silagum (Sila) and Variotime (Vario-LB)) and one extra light body (Viriotime (Vario-ELB)) impression materials were used to fabricate specimens with flat surfaces. Static and dynamic contact angles were measured using the sessile drop method (OCA-20 contact angle analyzer) as a function of time. Contact angle hysteresis shown was advancing minus receding contact angles. All data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Games-Howell post hoc test (p<0.05). Results: The static and dynamic contact angles of all tested impression materials showed characteristic timedependent changes. From the result of contact angle, all materials classified as hydrophilic impression materials. Vario-ELB and Affi showed good initial wettability than other two materials. Vario-ELB was showed more hydrophilic properties and more vulnerable to changes of intraoral environments compared to Affi, Sila and Vario-LB. Conclusion: The results of this study suggested that measuring the time-dependent dynamic contact angle on inclined surface can provide the effective information regarding the wettability of impression materials for evaluating their clinical performance.

Two ceramic phosphates, commercial hydroxyapatite and synthesised biphasic hydroxyapatite–14 wt.% α-tricalcium phosphate, were incubated in Hank's balanced salt solution (HBSS) and Kokubo's simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37 °C and the respective surface modifications investigated. The static contact angles (SCA) of water and diiodomethane on the surfaces of both incubated and non-incubated materials were measured as a function of time, showing that surface modifications were different for each type of phosphate and depended on the incubating solution. Dynamic contact angle (DCA) hysteresis provided information on the characteristics of possible deposits. These studies were complemented with SEM/EDS, FTIR and XRD analysis of the surfaces. Compositional changes in the incubating solutions with time were monitored by ICP spectroscopy. The main conclusions are (1) the presence of α-tricalcium phosphate in the synthesised biphasic hydroxyapatite enhances the deposition of calcium phosphate, (2) the precipitation of calcium phosphate is favoured by the pH increase of the incubating solution; consequently, buffer Tris inhibits the deposition because it avoids the pH increase and forms soluble complexes with Ca2+ ions. Another conclusion is that wettability measurements, especially DCA, provide a most sensitive method to detect surface transformations leading to mineralisation.

Infiltration of liquid droplets into porous media: Effects of dynamic contact angle and contact angle hysteresis