scholarly journals Solution Crystallization of Polycarbonate Surfaces for Hydrophobic State: Water Droplet Dynamics and Life Cycle Assessment towards Self-Cleaning Applications

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1449
Author(s):  
Bekir Sami Yilbas ◽  
Abba Abdulhamid Abubakar ◽  
Hussain Al-Qahtani ◽  
Shahzada Zaman Shuja ◽  
Mian Mobeen Shaukat ◽  
...  

Polycarbonate sheets are optically transparent and have the potential to be used as one of the cover materials for PV applications. Solution treatment of polycarbonate surfaces enables to create surface texture topology giving rise to a hydrophobic state, which is favorable for self-cleaning applications. In the present study, hydrophobization of polycarbonate surface is investigated via crystallization of surface by a one-step process. The influence of texture topology, which is created via crystallization, on water droplet mobility and optical transmittance is examined. Findings revealed that solution treatment, using acetone, results in crystallized polycarbonate surfaces with a hydrophobic state. Depending on the treatment duration, the texture characteristics of crystallized surface change while influencing the water contact angle hysteresis. This in turn affects the droplet mobility over the inclined crystallized surface and alters the UV visible transmittance. Moreover, the droplet mobility improves and dust mitigation rates from the treated surface increase as the solution treatment duration are reduced to 2 min. Oil impregnated samples result in improved UV visible transmittance; however, droplet motion changes from rolling to sliding over the surface. A sliding water droplet enables the removal of the dust particles from the oil-impregnated sample surface.

RSC Advances ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 3582-3596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghassan Abdelmagid ◽  
Bekir Sami Yilbas ◽  
Abdullah Al-Sharafi ◽  
H. Al-Qahtani ◽  
Nasser Al-Aqeeli

A water droplet's behavior on an inclined hydrophobic surface in the presence of environmental dust particles is considered and the droplet's dynamics are analyzed pertinent to self-cleaning applications.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 789
Author(s):  
Saeed Bahatab ◽  
Bekir Sami Yilbas ◽  
Abba Abdulhamid Abubakar ◽  
Ghassan Hassan ◽  
Anwaruddin Siddiqui Mohammed ◽  
...  

Self-cleaning of surfaces becomes challenging for energy harvesting devices because of the requirements of high optical transmittance of device surfaces. Surface texturing towards hydrophobizing can improve the self-cleaning ability of surfaces, yet lowers the optical transmittance. Introducing optical matching fluid, such as silicon oil, over the hydrophobized surface improves the optical transmittance. However, self-cleaning ability, such as dust mitigation, of the oil-impregnated hydrophobic surfaces needs to be investigated. Hence, solution crystallization of the polycarbonate surface towards creating hydrophobic texture is considered and silicon oil impregnation of the crystallized surface is explored for improved optical transmittance and self-cleaning ability. The condition for silicon oil spreading over the solution treated surface is assessed and silicon oil and water infusions on the dust particles are evaluated. The movement of the water droplet over the silicon oil-impregnated sample is examined utilizing the high-speed facility and the tracker program. The effect of oil film thickness and the tilting angle of the surface on the sliding droplet velocity is estimated for two droplet volumes. The mechanism for the dust particle mitigation from the oil film surface by the sliding water droplet is analyzed. The findings reveal that silicon oil impregnation of the crystallized sample surface improves the optical transmittance significantly. The sliding velocity of the water droplet over the thick film (~700 µm) remains higher than that of the small thickness oil film (~50 µm), which is attributed to the large interfacial resistance created between the moving droplet and the oil on the crystallized surface. The environmental dust particles can be mitigated from the oil film surface by the sliding water droplet. The droplet fluid infusion over the dust particle enables to reorient the particle inside the droplet fluid. As the dust particle settles at the trailing edge of the droplet, the sliding velocity decays on the oil-impregnated sample.


Micromachines ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liguo Qin ◽  
Mahshid Hafezi ◽  
Hao Yang ◽  
Guangneng Dong ◽  
Yali Zhang

To improve the drag-reducing and antifouling performance of marine equipment, it is indispensable to learn from structures and materials that are found in nature. This is due to their excellent properties, such as intelligence, microminiaturization, hierarchical assembly, and adaptability. Considerable interest has arisen in fabricating surfaces with various types of biomimetic structures, which exhibit promising and synergistic performances similar to living organisms. In this study, a dual bio-inspired shark-skin and lotus-structure (BSLS) surface was developed for fabrication on commercial polyurethane (PU) polymer. Firstly, the shark-skin pattern was transferred on the PU by microcasting. Secondly, hierarchical micro- and nanostructures were introduced by spraying mesoporous silica nanospheres (MSNs). The dual biomimetic substrates were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, water contact angle characterization, antifouling, self-cleaning, and water flow impacting experiments. The results revealed that the BSLS surface exhibited dual biomimetic features. The micro- and nano-lotus-like structures were localized on a replicated shark dermal denticle. A contact angle of 147° was observed on the dual-treated surface and the contact angle hysteresis was decreased by 20% compared with that of the nontreated surface. Fluid drag was determined with shear stress measurements and a drag reduction of 36.7% was found for the biomimetic surface. With continuous impacting of high-speed water for up to 10 h, the biomimetic surface stayed superhydrophobic. Material properties such as inhibition of protein adsorption, mechanical robustness, and self-cleaning performances were evaluated, and the data indicated these behaviors were significantly improved. The mechanisms of drag reduction and self-cleaning are discussed. Our results indicate that this method is a potential strategy for efficient drag reduction and antifouling capabilities.


Coatings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 493
Author(s):  
Michele Ferrari ◽  
Paolo Piccardo ◽  
Justine Vernet ◽  
Francesca Cirisano

One of the most important factors determining a significant reduction in optical devices’ efficiency is the accumulation of soiling substances such as dust, which, especially in solar power plants, implies higher costs and materials ageing. The use of superhydrophobic (SH) coatings, water contact angle (CA) greater than 150°, represents a suitable solution to improve the self-cleaning action while at the same time providing high transmittance for energy conversion. A mixed organic–inorganic SH coating with surface roughness below 100 nm was prepared by an easily scalable spray method and employed, allowing us to modulate the covered area and transparency. The coating has been also investigated while simulating pollution agents like acid rain, harsh environments, and the impact of continuous water droplets and dust particles with different physicochemical properties. The spray coating method allows us to obtain a modulated SH and self-cleaning surface showing CA > 170°, high transmittance in UV-Vis range and the ability to completely restore its initial properties in terms of wettability and transmittance after durability and soiling tests.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 387
Author(s):  
Euigyung Jeong ◽  
Heeju Woo ◽  
Yejin Moon ◽  
Dong Yun Lee ◽  
Minjung Jung ◽  
...  

In this study, self-cleaning polyester (PET) fabrics were prepared using TiOF2 and hexadecyltrimethoxysilane(HDS) treatment. TiOF2 was synthesized via direct fluorination of a precursor TiO2 at various reaction temperatures. The prepared PET fabrics had superior photocatalytic self-cleaning properties compared with anatase TiO2/HDS-treated PET fabrics under UV and sunlight with 98% decomposition of methylene blue. TiOF2/HDS-treated PET fabrics also had superior superhydrophobic self-cleaning properties compared with anatase TiO2/HDS-treated PET fabrics with a 161° water contact angle and 6° roll-off angle. After the self-cleaning tests of the non-dyed TiOF2/HDS-treated PET fabrics, we prepared dyed TiOF2/HDS-treated PET fabrics to test practical aspects of the treatment method. These PET fabrics were barely stained by tomato ketchup; even when stained, they could be self-cleaned within 4 h. These results suggest that practical self-cleaning PET fabrics with superhydrophobicity and photocatalytic degradation could be prepared using TiOF2/HDS-treatment.


Metals ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chongchong Li ◽  
Ruina Ma ◽  
An Du ◽  
Yongzhe Fan ◽  
Xue Zhao ◽  
...  

Super-hydrophobic film with hierarchical micro/nano structures was prepared by galvanic replacement reaction process on the surface of galvanized steel. The effects of the etching time and copper nitrate concentration on the wetting property of the as-prepared surfaces were studied. Scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrochemical technique were employed to characterize the surface morphology, chemical composition, and corrosion resistance. The stability and self-cleaning property of the as-fabricated super-hydrophobic film were also evaluated. The super-hydrophobic film can be obtained within 3 min and possesses a water contact angle of 164.3° ± 2°. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements indicated that the super-hydrophobic film greatly improved the corrosion resistance of the galvanized steel in 3.5 wt % NaCl aqueous solution. The highest inhibition efficiency was estimated to be 96.6%. The obtained super-hydrophobic film showed good stability and self-cleaning property.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 1780-1789 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priyanka Katiyar ◽  
Shraddha Mishra ◽  
Anurag Srivastava ◽  
N. Eswara Prasad

TiO2, SiO2 and their hybrid nanocoatings are prepared on inherent flame retardant textile substrates from titanium(IV)iso-proproxide (TTIP) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) precursors using a sol–gel process followed by hydrothermal treatment. The coated samples are further functionalized by hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS) to impart superhydrophobicity. Sample characterization of the nanosols, nanoparticles and coated samples are investigated using, X-ray diffractometer, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, contact angle measurement. Stain degradation test under mild UV irradiation shows almost 54% degradation of coffee stain within 4 hours measured by Spectrophotometer. UV-Vis Absorption Spectroscopy demonstrates complete degradation of methyl orange colorant within 3 hours. Hybrid nanosol coated and HDTMS modified inherent flame retardant polyester surfaces show apparent water contact angle as ~145°, which is much closer to proximity of superhydrophobic surfaces. Thus, the novelty of present work is, by using sol–gel technique, a bi-functional textile surface has been developed which qualifies the very specific requirements of protective clothing like self-cleaning property (imparted by TiO2 nanoparticles) and superhydrophobicity (imparted by SiO2 nanoparticles and further surface modification by HDTMS), which are entirely contradictory in nature, in a single fabric itself. Thus developed textile surfaces also possess the other attributes of protective clothing like flame retardancy and air permeability.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Z. Mazurek ◽  
Stanisław J. Pogorzelski

Floating dust-originated solid particles at air-water interfaces will interact with one another and disturb the smoothness of such a composite surface affecting its dilational elasticity. To quantify the effect, surface pressure (Π) versus film area (A) isotherm, and stress-relaxation (Π-time) measurements were performed for monoparticulate layers of the model hydrophobic material (of μm-diameter and differentiated hydrophobicity corresponding to the water contact angles (CA) ranging from 60 to 140°) deposited at surfaces of surfactant-containing original seawater and were studied with a Langmuir trough system. The composite surface dilational modulus predicted from the theoretical approach, in which natural dust load signatures (particle number flux, daily deposition rate, and diameter spectra) originated from in situ field studies performed along Baltic Sea near-shore line stations, agreed well with the direct experimentally derived data. The presence of seawater surfactants affected wettability of the solid material which was evaluated with different CA techniques applicable to powdered samples. Surface energetics of the particle-subphase interactions was expressed in terms of the particle removal energy, contact cross-sectional areas, collapse energies, and so forth. The hydrophobic particles incorporation at a sea surface film structure increased the elasticity modulus by a factor K (1.29–1.58). The particle-covered seawater revealed a viscoelastic behavior with the characteristic relaxation times ranging from 2.6 to 68.5 sec.


2012 ◽  
Vol 706-709 ◽  
pp. 2874-2879 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Jafari ◽  
Masoud Farzaneh

Superhydrophobic surfaces were prepared using a very simple and low-cost method by spray coating. A high static water contact angle of about 154° was obtained by deposition of stearic acid on an aluminium alloy. However, this coating demonstrated a high contact angle hysteresis (~ 30º). On the other hand, superhydrophobic surfaces with a static contact angle of about 162º and 158º, and a low contact angle hysteresis of about 3º and 5º were respectively obtained by incorporating nanoparticles of SiO2and CaCO3in stearic acid. The excellent resulting hydrophobicity is attributed to the synergistic effects of micro/nanoroughness and low surface energy. A study of the wettability of these surfaces at temperatures ranging from 20 to-10 °C showed that the superhydrophobic surface becomes rather hydrophobic at supercooled temperatures.


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