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Fabricating High-viscosity Droplets using Microfluidic Capillary Device with Phase-inversion Co-flow Structure
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Viscous-capillary entrainment on bioinspired millimetric structure for sustained liquid transfer
Ziyang Cheng1,2, Chuxin Li3, Can Gao1,2
1CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
Science Advances
|September 8, 2023
Summary
Millimetric structures enhance liquid transfer via viscous-capillary entrainment. This method enables stable, high-quantity liquid uptake and controlled drainage, useful in various applications.
Area of Science:
- Fluid dynamics
- Materials science
- Surface science
Background:
- Liquid entrainment is crucial for industrial liquid transfer.
- Solid structure properties significantly influence entrainment efficiency.
- The role of millimetric structures in liquid entrainment is underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of millimetric structures on liquid entrainment.
- To explore the co-effect of viscosity and capillarity for enhanced liquid transfer.
- To demonstrate sustained liquid transport using structured surfaces.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of millimetric structured surfaces.
- Experimental analysis of liquid entrainment dynamics.
- Investigation of viscous and capillary forces during entrainment.
Main Results:
- Millimetric structures significantly enhance liquid entrainment.
- Achieved high-quantity liquid uptake with controlled drainage.
- Demonstrated sustained liquid transfer with uniform droplet formation across varied viscosities.
Conclusions:
- Millimetric structured surfaces offer a novel approach for efficient liquid transfer.
- Viscous-capillary entrainment on these structures enables stable and controllable liquid transport.
- Potential applications span laboratory, industrial, and daily life scenarios.
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