Surface-Wettability Patterning for Distributing High-Momentum Water Jets on Porous Polymeric Substrates

Liquid jet impingement on porous materials is particularly important in many applications of heat transfer, filtration, or in incontinence products. Generally, it is desired that the liquid not penetrate the substrate at or near the point of jet impact, but rather be distributed over a wider area before reaching the back side. A facile wettability-patterning technique is presented, whereby a water jet impinging orthogonally on a wettability-patterned nonwoven substrate is distributed on the top surface and through the porous matrix, and ultimately dispensed from prespecified points underneath the sample. A systematic approach is adopted to identify the optimum design that allows for a uniform distribution of the liquid on horizontally mounted substrates of ∼50 cm² area, with minimal or no spilling over the sample edges at jet flow rates exceeding 1 L/min. The effect of the location of jet impingement on liquid distribution is also studied, and the design is observed to perform well even under offset jet impact conditions.