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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Pore-scale Imaging and Characterization of Hydrocarbon Reservoir Rock Wettability at Subsurface Conditions Using X-ray Microtomography

Pore-scale Imaging and Characterization of Hydrocarbon Reservoir Rock Wettability at Subsurface Conditions Using X-ray Microtomography

Published on: October 21, 2018

X-ray-induced changes in wettability.

Yong Bum Kwon¹, Byung Mook Weon, Kyu Hwang Won

¹X-ray Imaging Center, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, South Korea.

Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids

|January 15, 2009

Summary

Hard X-ray irradiation induces superhydrophilic wettability on inorganic material surfaces by creating positive surface charges. This change is temporary, with wettability returning to normal after storage in deionized water.

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Surface Properties of Synthesized Nanoporous Carbon and Silica Matrices

Surface Properties of Synthesized Nanoporous Carbon and Silica Matrices

Published on: March 27, 2019

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Surface Chemistry
Physics

Background:

Surface wettability is a critical property influencing material interactions.
Understanding how external stimuli affect surface properties is essential for material design.
Inorganic materials exhibit diverse surface behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effect of hard X-ray irradiation on the wettability of various inorganic materials.
To elucidate the mechanism behind X-ray-induced wettability changes.
To assess the reversibility of these surface modifications.

Main Methods:

Exposure of smooth inorganic material surfaces (ZnO, p-Si, Al2O3, SrTiO3, TiN, ZnS, CuO, Ag2O, Cr2O3) to hard X-ray irradiation.
Observation and characterization of surface wettability changes.
Analysis of surface charge accumulation via photoelectron emission.
Evaluation of wettability recovery upon storage in deionized water.

Main Results:

Hard X-ray irradiation consistently transformed the surfaces of all tested inorganic materials to a superhydrophilic state.
The observed superhydrophilicity is attributed to the accumulation of positive surface charges resulting from photoelectron emission.
The induced superhydrophilic state was reversible, with surfaces returning to their initial wettability within minutes in deionized water.

Conclusions:

Hard X-ray irradiation offers a method to temporarily modify the wettability of inorganic materials.
Photoelectron emission and subsequent positive surface charge accumulation are key mechanisms driving this transformation.
The reversible nature of the wettability change suggests potential applications in tunable surface engineering.