Wetting transition of submerged structures under hydrostatic and flow conditions

Abstract eng:
Superhydrophobicity relies on the maintenance of air cushions on structured hydrophobic surfaces buried underwater. However, the water-air interfaces are subject to instabilities induced by various mechanisms, leading to the wetting transition from a Cassie-Baxter to Wenzel state. In this work, the wetting transition on submerged microtextures under a hydrostatic or flow condition is studied. Confocal microscopy technique is used to observe the dynamic evolution of the water-air interfaces. The whole wetting transition process is monitored, and the classic CB, Wenzel states and an intermediate metastable state are directly observed. A diffusion-based mode is developed to predict the evolution process of metastable states under both hydrostatic and flow conditions. The acceleration of air diffusion by a convection regime to is captured, which is well described by a scaling law. The current work reveals the underlying mechanism of wetting transition on submerged structures and provides a longevity prediction of underwater superhydrophobicity.

• Export as: BibTeX | MARC | MARCXML | DC | EndNote | NLM | RefWorks
• Add to your basket