Xiaojiang Liu^1,*, Zhongze Gu¹, Kun Zhou²

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, Vol.29, No.3, pp. 1-2, 2024, DOI:10.32604/icces.2024.011320

Abstract Surfaces with overhanging microstructures play an essential role in surface wettability. Typically, surfaces with tightly-distributed multiply symmetric re-entrant microstructures enable the liquid suspension toward water, oil, and even n-perfluorooctane, whose surface tension is as low as 12.0 mN/m [1-4]. In contrast, surfaces with asymmetric re-entrant microstructures are favorable for unidirectional liquid spreading, where the liquids exhibit a small contact angle on the surfaces [5]. These fantastic wettability behaviors can be attributed to three-dimensional (3D) features of the overhanging microstructures, where the edge effect and Laplace pressure difference are generated on the overhanging microstructures. Based on… More >

Qiang Ma^1,2,3, Tuan Tran^2,*, Xiaodong Wang^1,*

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, Vol.29, No.4, pp. 1-2, 2024, DOI:10.32604/icces.2024.011051

Abstract Controlling dynamics of impacting droplets on meshes is significantly important, which attracted a lot of attention because of its great potential applications in liquid separation, self-cleaning, and water harvesting [1-3], yet the underlying physical mechanisms are not entirely revealed. Here, the impact dynamics of a nanodroplet on mesh surfaces with different wettability are studied through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Due to scale effects between the nano and macroscale, the impacting nanodroplets exhibit some unique dynamic characteristics [4-7]. On a superhydrophobic mesh surface, when varying the impact conditions of nanodroplets, different outcomes can occur: (i) at… More >

Haowei Hu^1,2,*, Qi Wang¹, Xinnuo Chen¹, Qin Li³, Mu Du⁴, Dong Niu^5,*

Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol.22, No.4, pp. 1245-1259, 2024, DOI:10.32604/fhmt.2024.054223 - 30 August 2024

Abstract To investigate the microscopic mechanism underlying the influence of surface-chemical gradient on heat and mass recovery, a molecular dynamics model including droplet condensation and transport process has been developed to examine heat and mass recovery performance. This work aimed at identify optimal conditions for enhancing heat and mass recovery through the combination of wettability gradient and nanopore transport. For comprehensive analysis, the structure in the simulation was categorized into three distinct groups: a homogeneous structure, a small wettability gradient, and a large wettability gradient. The homogeneous surface demonstrated low efficiency in heat and mass transfer, More >

Haowei Hu^1,2,*, Xinnuo Chen¹, Qi Wang¹, Qin Li³, Dong Niu⁴, Mu Du^5,*

Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol.22, No.4, pp. 1071-1085, 2024, DOI:10.32604/fhmt.2024.054218 - 30 August 2024

Abstract The self-driven behavior of droplets on a functionalized surface, coupled with wetting gradient and wedge patterns, is systematically investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The effects of key factors, including wedge angle, wettability, and wetting gradient, on the droplet self-driving effect is revealed from the nanoscale. Results indicate that the maximum velocity of droplets on hydrophobic wedge-shaped surfaces increases with the wedge angle, accompanied by a rapid attenuation of driving force; however, the average velocity decreases with the increased wedge angle. Conversely, droplet movement on hydrophilic wedge-shaped surfaces follows the opposite trend, particularly in terms… More >

Nannan Liu^*, Hengchen Qi, Hui Xu, Yanfeng He

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.20, No.8, pp. 1731-1741, 2024, DOI:10.32604/fdmp.2024.048354 - 06 August 2024

Abstract Low salinity water containing sulfate ions can significantly alter the surface wettability of carbonate rocks. Nevertheless, the impact of sulfate concentration on the desorption of oil film on the surface of carbonate rock is still unknown. This study examines the variations in the wettability of the surface of carbonate rocks in solutions containing varying amounts of sodium sulfate and pure water. The problem is addressed in the framework of molecular dynamics simulation (Material Studio software) and experiments. The experiment’s findings demonstrate that sodium sulfate can increase the rate at which oil moisture is turned into More > Graphic Abstract

Demiao Chu¹, Redžo Hasanagić², Leila Fathi³, Mohsen Bahmani^3,*, Miha Humar⁴

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.12, pp. 4061-4078, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.043657 - 10 November 2023

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the water absorption capacity of thermally modified and non-modified spruce and blue-stained spruce wood. The wettability of wood depends on various factors, including its type, density, porosity, and surface treatment. Wood can swell and become distorted when exposed to water or humidity, impacting its structural integrity. Hence, it is crucial to consider the water and water vapour uptake in the wood when choosing materials for applications that are likely to be exposed to moisture. Various moisture absorption tests were conducted to assess water absorption capacity, including short-term and long-term water… More > Graphic Abstract

Hongfei Ye^1,*, Chenguang Yin¹, Jian Wang¹, Yonggang Zheng¹, Hongwu Zhang¹

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, Vol.27, No.1, pp. 1-1, 2023, DOI:10.32604/icces.2023.09741

Abstract The wetting behavior is ubiquitous in natural phenomenon as well as engineering application. As an intrinsic property of solid surface, the wettability with a controllable gradient has been an attractive issue with a wide application in various fields, including microfluidic devices, self-driven transport, biotechnologies, etc. Generally, it often requires elaborate design of microstructure or its response under the electrical, thermal, optical, pH stimuli, etc. However, the relevant complex underlying mechanism makes it difficult to construct quantitative relations between the wettability and the external field for the fine design. In this work, based on the bilayer… More >

Yunyun Song¹, Xu Zhang¹, Jialei Yang¹, Zhongqiang Zhang^1,*, Guanggui Cheng¹

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, Vol.25, No.2, pp. 1-1, 2023, DOI: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… More >

Qahtan A. Hamad¹, Hanaa A. Al-Kaisy¹, Mohanad N. Al-Shroofy¹, Noor K. Faheed^2,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.4, pp. 1601-1612, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.023213 - 01 December 2022

Abstract This work aims to prepare chitosan (CS)-based coated layers, CS (10 wt% nanosilver/90 wt% CS, 10 wt% biotin/90 wt% CS, and 5 wt% nanosilver–5 wt% biotin)/90 wt% CS coatings are prepared, onto pure Ti substrate. The surface morphology of the novel CS composite coating was studied using field emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR) and wettability test. Results show that the addition of (biotin, nanosilver) 5 Vol.% improves the properties of composite materials. Using different particles’ scale size aid in improving the combinations in the alginate, producing a dual… More > Graphic Abstract

Qingmin Pan¹, Yongzong Lu¹, Liang Xue², Yongguang Hu^1,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.92, No.2, pp. 411-421, 2023, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2022.023437 - 12 October 2022

Abstract The wettability of leaf surface, commonly represented by contact angle (CA), affects various physiological and physical processes. The present study aims to better understand the wettability of tea leaves and elucidate its influence on the energy barrier of the droplet condensation process. The CA values of different leaf ages (young, mature and old) of five famous tea cultivars (Maolu, longjing 43, Huangjinya, Zhongcha 108 and Anji Baicha) were measured via the sessile drop method, and the micro-morphology of two cultivars leaves (Maolu, Zhongcha 108) was investigated by a 3D super depth-of-field digital microscope. Specifically, two radically distinctive types of CA trends… More >