Open Access
PROCEEDINGS
Ultrafast Adsorption of Tiny Oil Droplets Within Water by Superhydrophobic-Superoleophilic Conical Micro-arrays
Yunyun Song1, Xu Zhang1, Jialei Yang1, Zhongqiang Zhang1,*, Guanggui Cheng1
1 School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, No. 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
* Corresponding Author: Zhongqiang Zhang. Email:
The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences 2023, 25(2), 1-1. https://doi.org/10.32604/icces.2023.09916
Abstract
Although floating oil with large particle sizes can easily be separated from water by membrane separation
methods, tiny oil droplets with tremendously small volume force and density gradient at oil-water interfaces
within water lead to barriers of oil-water separation. Consequently, tiny oil droplets remain in the water,
resulting in energy waste, environmental pollution and biological health hazard. Traditional super-wetting
membranes with extremely small pore sizes were easily blocked during the oil-water separation process.
Inspired by the cactus and rice leaf, we developed a superhydrophobic-superoleophilic surface with conical
micro-arrays to realize ultrafast adsorption of tiny oil droplets within the water. The tiny oil droplets
transport directionally from the apex to the bottom of the conical microcolumn driven by Laplace pressure
and wettability gradient force. By adjusting oil volume and structure size, the oil droplet movement velocity
is up to 14.5 mm/s and the oil-water separation efficiency reaches 99.99% without external pressure.
Additionally, the large difference in movement velocity is helpful to realize the separation of different oil
phases. This work provides the theoretical basis and technical support to fabricate underwater apparatus
for the highly efficient collection of tiny oil droplets and phase separation of multiphase oil mixture.
Keywords
Cite This Article
APA Style
Song, Y., Zhang, X., Yang, J., Zhang, Z., Cheng, G. (2023). Ultrafast adsorption of tiny oil droplets within water by superhydrophobic-superoleophilic conical micro-arrays. The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, 25(2), 1-1. https://doi.org/10.32604/icces.2023.09916
Vancouver Style
Song Y, Zhang X, Yang J, Zhang Z, Cheng G. Ultrafast adsorption of tiny oil droplets within water by superhydrophobic-superoleophilic conical micro-arrays. Int Conf Comput Exp Eng Sciences . 2023;25(2):1-1 https://doi.org/10.32604/icces.2023.09916
IEEE Style
Y. Song, X. Zhang, J. Yang, Z. Zhang, and G. Cheng "Ultrafast Adsorption of Tiny Oil Droplets Within Water by Superhydrophobic-Superoleophilic Conical Micro-arrays," Int. Conf. Comput. Exp. Eng. Sciences , vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 1-1. 2023. https://doi.org/10.32604/icces.2023.09916