wetting – TechConnect Briefs

A novel fabric softener system to make the softness and water wiping effect compatible.

Igarashi T., Uematsu J., Onda T., Nakamura K., Kao Corporation, JP

It is known that the softness of fabric is realized when fabrics softener is used after washing, and it is also well known that the water-absorbency of the fabrics is decreased as an unfavorable side-effect. [...]

Solid-Liquid Work of Adhesion

Gulec S., Tadmor R., Das R., Liu J., N'guessan H., Shah M., Wasnik P., Yadav S.B., Lamar University, US

Centrifugal Adhesion Balance (CAB) is used for measuring directly solid-liquid work of adhesion by inducing an ever-increasing normal force which pulls on the droplet while keeping zero lateral force until the liquid-solid contact area starts [...]

Anisotropic Wetting Behaviour of Modified 3D Printed Micro-Structured Polymer Surfaces for Water Harvesting

Cook M.J., Johnston J.H., Leveneur J., Victoria University of Wellington, NZ

We present an attractive new technology for the design and fabrication of micro-structured water harvesting surfaces through a unique combination of 3D printing and hydrophilic/hydrophobic surface modification. For many years, researchers have examined the wetting [...]

Wettable Slippery Surfaces. Self-cleaning Effect and Mechanism

Law K-Y, Research and Innovative Solutions, US

The phenomenon of self-cleaning displayed by the Lotus leaf and many other plant and insect surfaces has attracted tremendous attention recently. Self-cleaning surface is usually superhydrophobic and non-wettable, and is characterized by a very large [...]

Increased Heat Transfer through Dropwise Condensation on a Bio-inspired Superhydrophobic-Hydrophilic Surface

Mondal B., Mac Giolla Eain M., Xu Q.F., Egan V., Punch J., Lyons A.M., City University of New York, US

Condensation of water vapor is an essential process in power generation, water collection, and thermal management. Because of the high surface energy of the metal surfaces, filmwise condensation of water vapor occurs, forming a static, [...]

Effect of Roughness on Wettability of a Surface by Nano-droplets: Correlation With the Slip Length in Nanofluidics

Jabbarzadeh A., The University of Sydney, AU

Surface characteristic govern friction, flow, wettability and many other properties in solid-liquid interfaces. Wettability of surfaces is usually determined by measuring the contact angle of a single droplet put on the surface. Liquid repelling surfaces [...]

Protein-based nanoparticles for hydrophilic coating

Kim S., Biswas A., Evans K., USDA/ARS/NCAUR, US

Cyanoacrylate nanoparticles have been studied in great detail over the past three decades with a view to their use as controlled release drug delivery materials. The mechanism of polymerization is anionic where the initiating species [...]

Design Parameters for “Robust” Superoleophobicity Surfaces

Law K-Y, Zhao H., Park K.C., Xerox Corporation, US

Earlier we reported the fabrication of a model superoleophobic surface comprising ~3-micron diameter pillar arrays on Silicon. Results showed that both surface fluorination and the re-entrant geometry are crucial in achieving the superoleophobicity with hexadecane [...]

Machine Vision System for Analysis of Drops-in-flight and Wetting Visualization

Kipman Y., ImageXpert Inc., US

An integrated, machine-vision system, JetXpert, has been developed for the visualization of faceplate wetting and the measurement of drops-in-flight. For print head wetting, the system uses a camera and light source set at an angle [...]

Printed sensor and liquid actuation on natural fiber based substrate

Saarinen J.J., Ihalainen P., Määttänen A., Bollström R., Peltonen J., Abo Akademi University, FI

Recently we have developed a new biobased substrate for printed functionality that, compared to the conventional plastic films, is recyclable and renewable based on natural fibers. Inkjet printed transistor functionality has already been realized and [...]