Investigations into wetting and spreading behaviors of impacting metal droplet under ultrasonic vibration control

Ultrasonic-assisted metal droplet deposition (UAMDD) is currently considered a promising technology in droplet-based 3D printing due to its capability to change the wetting and spreading behaviors at the droplet-substrate interface. However, the involved contact dynamics during impacting droplet deposition, particularly the complex physical interaction and metallurgical reaction of induced wetting-spreading-solidification by the external energy, remain unclear to date, which hinders the quantitative prediction and regulation of the microstructures and bonding property of the UAMDD bumps. Here, the wettability of the impacting metal droplet ejected by a piezoelectric micro-jet device (PMJD) on non-wetting and wetting ultrasonic vibration substrates is studied, and the corresponding spreading diameter, contact angle, and bonding strength are also discussed. For the non-wetting substrate, the wettability of the droplet can be significantly increased due to the extrusion of the vibration substrate and the momentum transfer layer at the droplet-substrate interface. And the wettability of the droplet on a wetting substrate is increased at a lower vibration amplitude, which is driven by the momentum transfer layer and the capillary waves at the liquid–vapor interface. Moreover, the effects of the ultrasonic amplitude on the droplet spreading are studied under the resonant frequency of 18.2–18.4 kHz. Compared to deposit droplets on a static substrate, such UAMDD has 31% and 2.1% increments in the spreading diameters for the non-wetting and wetting systems, and the corresponding adhesion tangential forces are increased by 3.85 and 5.59 times.     

固体表面液滴铺展与润湿接触线的移动分析

液滴在固体表面上的铺展行为与润湿特性对许多工业生产过程的研究具有重要意义.根据液滴在光滑表面上的受力情况,建立了液滴平壁铺展的动力学模型.应用润滑近似方法和二维Navier-Stokes方程,建立了液滴沿理想表面铺展的动量和连续性方程.根据建立的方程,应用数值解法求解并详细分析了液滴在铺展过程中膜厚、接触线铺展半径以及铺展速度随时间的变化关系.研究结果表明:液滴的铺展过程可分为扩展和收缩两个阶段,铺展过程伴随着表面能、动能以及各种势能的相互转化,液滴最终的铺展半径大小由固体基面固有的润湿特性所决定;液滴在铺展过程中出现的"坍塌效应"与弯曲液面处的Laplace压力差有关;铺展半径随时间变化的标定律近似满足"1/7"次方标度律.     

SiC表面圆环槽边缘效应实验研究

基于固体边缘效应,对碳化硅(SiC)表面激光加工圆环形沟槽的润湿特性进行实验研究,通过分析去离子水在圆环槽上的润湿性能及其在边缘处的铺展行为,获得了环槽深度与环槽宽度对液滴在边缘处最大表观接触角的影响规律.结果表明,SiC圆环槽阻碍液滴铺展,光滑基体表面上接触角为70°,激光加工圆环槽深度为290μm,宽度为1 mm时,接触角可达138.5°.随槽深的增大,接触角呈现先增大后趋于稳定的趋势,临界槽深为80μm.当槽深小于该极值时,接触角随槽深的增大而线性增大;当槽深大于该极值时,液滴处于稳定钉扎状态,接触角趋于稳定,其稳定值符合Gibbs不等式.环槽宽度存在一临界值40μm.当槽宽低于该值时,液滴接触环槽外缘后越过沟槽继续在平面上铺展;当槽宽大于该值时,接触角趋于稳定,液滴沿边缘铺展.     

平衡接触角对受热液滴在水平壁面上铺展特性的影响

壁面温度是影响壁面润湿性的重要外部条件. 为解决液滴铺展中三相接触线处应力集中问题, 已有研究多采用预置液膜假设, 但无法探究壁面温度对润湿性的影响. 本文针对受热液滴在固体壁面上的铺展过程, 基于润滑理论建立了演化模型, 通过数值模拟, 从平衡接触角角度分析了温度影响壁面润湿性及铺展过程的内部机理. 研究表明: 随温度梯度增大, 液滴所受Marangoni效应增强, 致使液滴向低温区的铺展速率加快; 铺展过程中, 位于高温区的接触线与液滴主体部分间形成一层薄液膜, 重力与热毛细力先后主导该区域的铺展; 当液-固或气-液界面张力对温度的敏感度高于另两个界面时, 低温区方向的平衡接触角不断增大, 使壁面润湿性恶化, 导致液滴铺展减慢; 而当气-固界面张力对温度的敏感度高于其他两个界面时, 低温区方向上的平衡接触角将减小, 由此改善壁面润湿性, 加快液滴铺展; 在温度影响壁面润湿性和液滴铺展过程中, 平衡接触角起关键作用.     

液滴在不同润湿性表面上蒸发时的动力学特性

基于润滑理论,采用滑移边界条件建立了二维液滴厚度的演化模型和移动接触线动力学模型,利用数值计算方法模拟了均匀加热基底上固着液滴蒸发时的动力学特性,分析了液-气、固-气和液-固界面张力温度敏感性对壁面润湿性和液滴动态特性的影响.结果表明,液滴的运动过程受毛细力、重力、热毛细力和蒸发的影响,重力对液滴铺展起促进作用,而毛细力、热毛细力则起抑制作用;通过改变界面张力温度敏感性系数,可使液滴蒸发过程中的接触线呈现处于钉扎或部分钉扎模式,且接触线钉扎模式下的液滴存续时间低于部分钉扎模式;提高液-气与液-固界面张力温度敏感系数均可改善壁面润湿性能,加快液滴铺展速率;而增大固-气界面张力温度敏感系数则导致壁面润湿性能恶化、延缓液滴铺展过程;通过改变固-气界面张力温度敏感系数更有利于调控处于蒸发状态下的液滴运动.     

Pb液滴在Ni基底润湿铺展行为的分子动力学模拟

采用分子动力学方法研究了Pb液滴在Ni(100)晶面、(110)晶面和(111)晶面的铺展润湿行为. 结果表明: Pb液滴在Ni(100)及(111)基底上的润湿铺展现象呈各向同性, 而在Ni(110)基底上的润湿铺展现象呈明显的各向异性, 且这种各向异性源于Ni(110)晶面点阵结构上Pb原子沿不同晶向的扩散机制及速度的明显差异; Pb液滴在Ni(111)晶面上铺展时, 未发生表面合金化, 液滴铺展动力学描述近似满足 R² ∝ t, 而液滴在(100)晶面和(110)晶面上铺展时表面产生合金化现象, 铺展动力学关系近似满足 R⁴ ∝ t, 且液滴在(100)晶面上的铺展速度高于(110)晶面上的铺展速度. 关键词： 分子动力学 润湿各向异性 铺展膜 扩散机制     

Wetting characteristics of ZnO smooth film and nanowire structure with and without OTS coating

ZnO is an important material that is used in a variety of technologies including optical devices, sensors, and other microsystems. In many of these technologies, wettability is of great concern because of its implications in numerous surface related interactions. In this work, the effects of surface morphology and surface energy on the wetting characteristics of ZnO were investigated. ZnO specimens were prepared in both smooth film and nanowire structure in order to investigate the effects of surface morphology. Also, a hydrophobic octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) coating was used to chemically modify the surface energy of the ZnO surface. Wettability of the surfaces was assessed by measuring the water contact angle. The results showed that the water contact angle varied significantly with surface morphology as well as surface energy. OTS coated ZnO nanowire specimen had the highest contact angle of 150°, which corresponded to a superhydrophobic surface. This was a drastic difference from the contact angle of 87° obtained for the smooth ZnO film specimen. In addition to the initial contact angle, the evolution of the water droplet with respect to time was investigated. The wetting state of water droplet was analyzed with both Wenzel and Cassie-Baxter models. Spontaneous and gradual spreading, together with evaporation phenomenon contributed to the changing shape, and hence the varying contact angle, of the water droplet over time.     

Contact angle hysteresis on nano-structured surfaces

We present results from an experimental study on the phenomenon of contact angle hysteresis on solid surfaces decorated by a random array of nanometric hollows. For weak values of the areal density of defects φ_d, the hysteresis H increases linearly with φ_d. This evolution is described by a pinning–depinning process of the contact line by individual defects. At higher values of φ_d, a collective pinning effect appears and H decreases with increasing φ_d. In the linear regime, our experimental results are compared to theoretical predictions for contact angle hysteresis induced by a single isolated defect on the solid surface. We suggest that the crossover from the individual to the collective pinning effects could be interpreted in terms of an overlapping of wetting cross sections. Finally, we analyse the influence of both the size and the morphology (hollows/hillocks) of defects on the anchorage of the contact line.     

Precursor films in wetting phenomena

The spontaneous spreading of non-volatile liquid droplets on solid substrates poses a classic problem in the context of wetting phenomena. It is well known that the spreading of a macroscopic droplet is in many cases accompanied by a thin film of macroscopic lateral extent, the so-called precursor film, which emanates from the three-phase contact line region and spreads ahead of the latter with a much higher speed. Such films have been usually associated with liquid-on-solid systems, but in the last decade similar films have been reported to occur in solid-on-solid systems. While the situations in which the thickness of such films is of mesoscopic size are fairly well understood, an intriguing and yet to be fully understood aspect is the spreading of microscopic, i.e. molecularly thin, films. Here we review the available experimental observations of such films in various liquid-on-solid and solid-on-solid systems, as well as the corresponding theoretical models and studies aimed at understanding their formation and spreading dynamics. Recent developments and perspectives for future research are discussed.     

Wetting of aluminium and carbon interface during preparation of Al-Ti-C grain refiner under ultrasonic field

In the preparation of an Al-Ti-C grain refiner under an ultrasonic field, the mechanism of the wetting behaviour between Al and C was systematically investigated. The results demonstrated that the wetting behaviour was mainly dependent on the wetting of the Al melt on graphite under the ultrasonic field (physical wetting) and the formation and mass transfer of TiC (reactive wetting). The diffusion of Ti atoms and their adsorption around the graphite could contribute to the wetting of Al-C. TiC particles were formed under the high temperature caused by the cavitation effect, and they detached from the interface due to the sound pressure, which resulted in consistently sufficient contact on the wetting interface. Moreover, the wetting and spreading behaviour of the Al melt on graphite under an ultrasonic field were numerically simulated, strongly manifesting that the ultrasonic field could facilitate the wetting of the Al-C interface.     

改性疏水固壁润湿性反转现象的格子Boltzmann方法模拟

基于疏水固壁改性会引起润湿性反转的特点,采用考虑固体与液体间分子力的格子Boltzmann方法,从壁面的线性和瞬时改性两方面对润湿性反转现象进行了数值模拟,并结合流体体积方法处理界面层质量.结果表明:壁面线性改性的过程中润湿性反转变化平稳,润湿所需时间大幅减少,所得到的接触角与固液吸引力系数的关系与其他文献结果一致;壁面瞬时改性幅度越大说明固壁对液滴作用力越强,表现为润湿性变化越明显,瞬时改性后接触角随时间呈指数规律变化,这与现有结论相符合.研究发现:在改性条件下液膜铺展过程中伴随着振荡变化,线性改性的振动峰值与改性幅度相关;瞬时改性的液膜速度会在某一时刻突然增大,这种现象与夹带空气有关.     

Wetting of phospholipid membranes on hydrophilic surfaces - Concepts towards self-healing membranes

We report on the wetting behavior of phospholipid membranes on solid surfaces immersed in aqueous solution. Using fluorescence microscopy, the spreading velocity of fluid bilayers advancing from a lipid source is investigated. The kinetic spreading coefficient was measured as a function of temperature for pure DMPC membranes and as a function of charge density and cholesterol content for binary membranes. A theoretical model for the membrane flow is presented, which takes into account the liquid crystalline bilayer architecture of the lipid membrane. The spreading power results from the membrane-solid VdW interaction and is dissipated in hydrodynamic shear flow as well as by inter-monolayer friction within the bilayer. The frictional drag causes a dynamic tension gradient in the spreading membrane, which is manifested by a single exponential decay of the fluorescence intensity profile along the spreading direction. Obstacles are shown to act as pinning centers deforming the advancing line interface. However, no depinning was observed, since the centers are circumflown without abrupt relaxation. Received 6 November 1998     

Dependence of wetting on cavitation during the spreading of a filler droplet on the ultrasonically agitated Al substrate

The cavitation characteristics during the spreading of a pure Sn liquid droplet subjected to ultrasonication were studied for the first time through high-speed photography to reveal the wetting mechanism. Ultrasonic vibration realized the spreading of Sn droplet on the nonwetting pure Al substrate. However, the oxide layer of the substrate at the spreading front is difficult to remove. The high-speed photography result shows that a noncavitation region consistently appears at the spreading front, because the acoustic pressure is below the cavitation threshold of 1.26 MPa. In particular, the width of the noncavitation region gradually increases as the size of the spreading area increases. Such a result accounts for the condition wherein the oxide layer at the spreading front is difficult to remove. Furthermore, the bubble density during spreading gradually decreases due to the decreased acoustic pressure of the thinned liquid. Finally, the bubble dynamics were calculated to verify the wetting mechanism.     

微矩形凹槽表面液滴各向异性浸润行为的研究

受自然界启发,仿生微结构被广泛用于调控固-液界面的性质.研究显示,液滴在微结构表面的各向异性浸润行为可用于实现微流动方向和速度的控制,且其各向异性浸润与微结构的尺寸和分布等密切相关.本文研究了微矩形凹槽尺寸对液滴各向异性浸润行为的影响规律.结果显示,液滴沿平行沟槽的方向具有较小的运动阻力、易铺展,因此具有较小接触角;而垂直于沟槽方向,由于沟槽的阻隔作用具有较大运动阻力,因而具有较大接触角,并且在垂直方向液滴的浸润过程是三相线一系列钉扎和跳跃行为.在微矩形凹槽表面,液滴沿平行方向接触角θ//与肋板宽度R和凹槽宽度G密切相关,其值与表面固体面积比成反比;而垂直于沟槽方向的接触角θ⊥随肋板宽度R和凹槽宽度G变化基本保持不变.同时各向异性液滴的变形比L/W、特征方向接触角比值θ⊥/θ//与表面固体面积比成正比.研究结果有助于加深理解微结构表面浸润行为的机制,并为微矩形凹槽在微流动控制方向的应用提供技术支持.     

应用激光蚀刻不同微织构表面的润湿性

运用激光微织构技术, 通过控制微凹坑形状、间距、深度等参数, 在45#钢表面制备了一组表面算术平均偏差S_a相同但表面微观结构不同的试件. 使用Talysulf CCI Lite 非接触式三维光学轮廓仪对表面进行测量, 采用ISO 25178三维形貌表征参数对其形貌进行表征. 在SL200 KS光学法固液接触角和界面张力仪上针对32#汽轮机油进行润湿性试验, 分析了温度、液滴体积、表面结构特征等因素对润湿性的影响, 并借助ISO25178中部分参数对固体表面形貌随机特征与其润湿性之间的关联性进行了量化研究. 基于固液本征接触角为锐角, 研究结果表明: 固液接触角在润湿过程中先迅速减小, 之后逐渐趋于稳定; 固液平衡接触角随温度的升高而减小, 随液滴体积的增大先增大后减小; 激光微织构能够改变表面润湿性, S_a相同的表面, 微织构形状、方向均影响表面润湿性, 当槽状微织构表面的槽方向与液滴铺展方向一致时, 润湿效果最优. ISO25178系列三维形貌表征参数中幅度参数(S_ku, S_sk)、空间参数(S_tr, S_al)、混合参数(S_dq, S_dr)与表面润湿性之间具有较强的关联性: S_ku, S_al, S_dr越大, S_sk, S_tr, S_dq 越小的表面, 固液平衡接触角越小, 表面润湿性越好.     

Evaporation of liquid droplets from a surface of anodized aluminum

The results of study of evaporation of water droplets and NaCl salt solution from a solid substrate made of anodized aluminum are presented in this paper. The experiment provides the parameters describing the droplet profile: contact spot diameter, contact angle, and droplet height. The specific rate of evaporation was calculated from the experimental data. The water droplets or brine droplets with concentration up to 9.1 % demonstrate evaporation with the pinning mode for the contact line. When the salt concentration in the brine is taken up to 16.7 %, the droplet spreading mode was observed. Two stages of droplet evaporation are distinguished as a function of phase transition rate.     

Short-time dynamics of partial wetting

When a liquid drop contacts a wettable surface, the liquid spreads over the solid to minimize the total surface energy. The first moments of spreading tend to be rapid. For example, a millimeter-sized water droplet will wet an area having the same diameter as the drop within a millisecond. For perfectly wetting systems, this spreading is inertially dominated. Here we identify that even in the presence of a contact line, the initial wetting is dominated by inertia rather than viscosity. We find that the spreading radius follows a power-law scaling in time where the exponent depends on the equilibrium contact angle. We propose a model, consistent with the experimental results, in which the surface spreading is regulated by the generation of capillary waves.     

液滴在梯度微结构表面上的铺展动力学分析

本文通过改变肋柱宽度和间距, 构造了二级和多级梯度微结构表面, 采用格子-Boltzmann方法对液滴在两种梯度表面上的铺展过程进行了研究, 探析液滴运动的机理和调控方法. 结果表明, 在改变肋柱间距的二级梯度表面上, 当液滴处于Cassie态时, 接触角滞后大小与粗糙度梯度成正比关系; 当液滴从Cassie态转换为Wenzel态或介于两者之间的不稳定态时, 这一正比关系不再遵循. 在改变肋柱宽度的二级梯度表面上, 接触角滞后大小与粗糙度梯度始终成正比关系. 在多级梯度表面上, 随液滴初始半径增大, 接触角滞后减小, 但液滴平衡位置相较于初始位置偏离增大. 对梯度微结构表面上液滴运动和接触角滞后的定量分析, 可为实现梯度微结构表面液滴运动调控提供理论依据.     

Langevin dynamics of an interface near a wall

We study dynamical contact angles and precursor films using Langevin dynamics for SOS type models, near a wall which favors spreading. We first solve exactly the Gaussian model and discuss various asymptotic regimes. This is only appropriate to partial wetting. We then consider more general models. Using local equilibrium and scaling arguments, we derive the shape of the dynamical profile and the speed of the precursor film which exists when the spreading coefficient is strictly positive. Long-range potentials lead to a layered structure of the precursor film. We also consider the case of a meniscus in a capillary.     

Critical Properties and Finite-Size Estimates for the Depinning Transition of Directed Random Polymers

We consider models of directed random polymers interacting with a defect line, which are known to undergo a pinning/depinning (or localization/delocalization) phase transition. We are interested in critical properties and we prove, in particular, finite-size upper bounds on the order parameter (the contact fraction) in a window around the critical point, shrinking with the system size. Moreover, we derive a new inequality relating the free energy F and an annealed exponent μ which describes extreme fluctuations of the polymer in the localized region. For the particular case of a (1+1)-dimensional interface wetting model, we show that this implies an inequality between the critical exponents which govern the divergence of the disorder-averaged correlation length and of the typical one. Our results are based on the recently proven smoothness property of the depinning transition in presence of quenched disorder and on concentration of measure ideas.