Emerging Separation Applications of Surface Superwettability.
Jiale Yong1, Qing Yang2, Xun Hou1
1State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing System Engineering and Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Photonics Technology for Information, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)
|February 26, 2022
Summary
Superwettability enables advanced separation technologies beyond oil and water. This review explores using superhydrophobic and superoleophobic surfaces for diverse liquid/liquid and liquid/gas mixture separations, aiding environmental and industrial solutions.
Area of Science:
- Surface science
- Materials science
- Environmental engineering
Background:
- Global environmental and sustainable development challenges necessitate effective separation technologies.
- Superwettability, including superhydrophobicity and underwater superoleophobicity, has proven effective for oil/water separation.
- Current separation strategies need expansion beyond oil/water to address diverse multiphase mixtures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To generalize the successful oil/water separation approach using superwettability to other liquid/liquid and liquid/gas mixtures.
- To review and highlight the potential of surface superwettability in advanced separation processes.
- To explore novel applications of wettability-based separation in various sectors.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing superhydrophobic and superoleophobic surfaces to repel liquids.
- Employing underwater superpolymphobic materials for liquid polymer-water separation.
- Using underwater superaerophobic and superaerophilic porous materials for gas bubble management in liquids.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated extension of wettability-based separation from oil/water to liquid polymers and gas bubbles.
- Showcased the efficacy of superhydrophobic, superoleophobic, superpolymphobic, superaerophobic, and superaerophilic materials in separation.
- Highlighted the versatility of surface microstructures in controlling liquid-solid and liquid-liquid interactions.
Conclusions:
- Diversified wettability-based separation methods offer significant potential for industrial manufacture, energy, environmental protection, and agriculture.
- Superwettability provides a powerful platform for developing next-generation separation technologies.
- The principles of oil/water separation can be effectively extended to a broader range of complex mixtures.
Keywords:
oil/water separationsolid/liquid/gas separationsuperhydrophobicitysuperwettabilitywater/gas separationMore Related Videos
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