Successive four-phase liquid separation using hierarchical microcube-nanohole structure and controlled surface...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Current liquid separation systems struggle with efficiency when separating liquids with small surface tension differences.
• Controlling surface wettability is crucial for advanced liquid separation technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel filter system capable of selectively separating liquids with minimal surface tension differences.
• To enhance the efficiency and applicability of liquid separation in industrial and environmental contexts.

Main Methods:

• Precisely adjusting the surface-energy threshold of aluminum meshes by coating hierarchical structures.
• Utilizing patterning technology to create heterogeneous surface tension distributions on single meshes.
• Testing the separation of multiphase liquid mixtures under gravitational force.

Main Results:

• Achieved highly effective separation of four immiscible liquids with a collection rate ≥98% and content ratio ≥96%.
• Successfully separated liquid mixtures with surface tension differences as low as 10.4 mN/m.
• Demonstrated the capability of the hybrid mesh system for multiphase liquid separation.

Conclusions:

• The developed hybrid mesh system offers precise control over surface wettability for efficient liquid separation.
• This technology provides an economical and effective solution for various industrial and environmental liquid mixture separation challenges.
• The findings pave the way for advanced filtration systems in chemical processing and environmental remediation.