Drop spreading and penetration into pre-wetted powders

The Study of Biological Glue Droplet Impact Behavior of Bioceramic Powders Applied in 3D Printing of Bone Scaffolds

This paper aims to develop a reliable and effective model to investigate the behavior of micron-sized biological glue droplets impacting micron-sized bioceramic powder beds applied to the 3D printing process. It also endeavours to explore the common rules of droplet impact affected by particle size and the wettability of powder, which are supposed to provide process parameters guidance for the application of new materials in 3D printing. Firstly, based on the low impulse impact model, the simplified model was proposed. Then, the observation and simulation experiments of millimeter-scale droplet impacting were carried out under the same conditions to prove the effectiveness of the model. Furthermore, the characterization of a parametric experiment of a 3D printing practice was used to verify the significance and effectiveness of the simulation study method. Lastly, the method was performed to investigate the effect of wettability and particle size of the micron powder on the micron droplet impact. The results showed that the binder powder’s wettability and particle size could directly influence the droplet spreading behavior. The characterization results of samples printed in the simulation-predicted parameter showed that the amount of binder used could be reduced by 38.8~50.1%, while the green strength only lost 17.9~20%. The significance of this simulation method for prediction of 3D printing process parameters was verified.

Wet granulation end point prediction using dimensionless numbers in a mixer torque rheometer: Relationship between capillary and Weber numbers and the optimal wet mass consistency

The optimal wet mass consistency during wet granulation is often determined using the hand squeezing test. In this study, torque values recorded inside the wet mass were measured using a mixer torque rheometer (MTR) via multiple additions of liquid. The main objective of this work was to predict the optimal wet mass consistency of pharmaceutical powders using the modified capillary (Ca^∗) and Weber (We^∗) dimensionless numbers. The results show that the optimal wet mass consistency versus Ca^∗ (or We^∗) can be fitted with a power-law function, whereas the improved capillary number Ca^' proposed in this work gives different relationships and behaviors depending on the spreadability and wettability of the blend. The wettability was obtained by measuring the contact angle between the liquids and the pharmaceutical powders. The surface free energy and the polar and dispersive parts of a liquid's surface energy were obtained from Young's equation and the Owens-Wendt-Rabel-Kaelble (OWRK) model. This study demonstrated the importance of the interfacial energy σ_b-s and the pore radius, R_pore in the establishment of a dimensionless number, Ca^∗, that can satisfactorily predict with an R² of 0.80, the optimal wet mass consistency of pharmaceutical powders measured by the MTR.

Droplet impact dynamics on textiles

The development of textiles that repel droplets following droplet impact at a high velocity is a common requirement in a number of applications, ranging from waterproof clothing to inkjet printing, yet the underpinning physical mechanisms are not entirely understood. The impact of a droplet on the surface of a textile produces two simultaneous yet separate flows, occurring above and below the surface, and which are associated with the spreading and penetration dynamics. In this paper, we study the temporal evolution of the lateral spreading diameter of a droplet impacting both hydrophobic and hydrophilic textiles. We show that the impact on textiles at short timescales involves no deformation of the droplet shape if the textile's porosity is sufficiently low. We show that the early-stage impact penetration is solely driven by inertia and no lamella is visible. We also show that for hydrophilic textiles, depending on the impact conditions, a droplet can be captured by the textile or penetrate it. We show by balancing the dynamic impact and capillary pressures that the penetration behaviour is governed by a threshold pore size, the liquid characteristics and the droplet diameter. Our conclusions highlight that the ability of a textile to repel water is controlled by the mesh size. Our experiments and analysis were carried out on coated hydrophobic and non-coated hydrophilic textiles with four corresponding mesh sizes, and are in agreement with the previous findings on hydrophobic metallic (copper) meshes.

Capillary Drop Penetration Method to Characterize the Liquid Wetting of Powders

We present a method to characterize the wettability of powders, based on the penetration dynamics of a sessile drop deposited on a slightly compressed powder bed. First, we show that a direct comparison of the wetting properties of different liquids is possible without having to solve the three-dimensional liquid penetration problem, by considering the appropriate dimensionless variables. We show that the contact area between the sessile drop and the powder bed remains constant during most of the penetration process and demonstrate that as a result, the evolution of the dimensionless penetration volume is given by a universal function of the dimensionless time, with no dimensionless parameters. Then, using a reference liquid that completely wets the powder, it is possible to obtain an effective contact angle for a test liquid of interest, independent of other properties of the powder bed, such as permeability and a characteristic pore size. We apply the proposed method to estimate the contact angle of water with different powder blends, by using silicone oil as the reference liquid. Finally, to highlight the potential of the proposed method to characterize pharmaceutical powders, we consider a blend of lactose, acetaminophen, and a small amount of lubricant (magnesium stearate). The proposed method adequately captures a significant decrease in hydrophilicity that results from exposing the blend to excessive mixing, a well-known effect in the pharmaceutical industry.

Penetration in bimodal, polydisperse granular material

We investigate the impact penetration of spheres into granular media which are compositions of two discrete size ranges, thus creating a polydisperse bimodal material. We examine the penetration depth as a function of the composition (volume fractions of the respective sizes) and impact speed. Penetration depths were found to vary between δ=0.5D_{0} and δ=7D_{0}, which, for mono-modal media only, could be correlated in terms of the total drop height, H=h+δ, as in previous studies, by incorporating correction factors for the packing fraction. Bimodal data can only be collapsed by deriving a critical packing fraction for each mass fraction. The data for the mixed grains exhibit a surprising lubricating effect, which was most significant when the finest grains [d_{s}∼O(30) μm] were added to the larger particles [d_{l}∼O(200-500) μm], with a size ratio, ε=d_{l}/d_{s}, larger than 3 and mass fractions over 25%, despite the increased packing fraction. We postulate that the small grains get between the large grains and reduce their intergrain friction, only when their mass fraction is sufficiently large to prevent them from simply rattling in the voids between the large particles. This is supported by our experimental observations of the largest lubrication effect produced by adding small glass beads to a bed of large sand particles with rough surfaces.

A quality by design approach to scale-up of high-shear wet granulation process

High-shear wet granulation is a complex process that in turn makes scale-up a challenging task. Scale-up of high-shear wet granulation process has been studied extensively in the past with various different methodologies being proposed in the literature. This review article discusses existing scale-up principles and categorizes the various approaches into two main scale-up strategies - parameter-based and attribute-based. With the advent of quality by design (QbD) principle in drug product development process, an increased emphasis toward the latter approach may be needed to ensure product robustness. In practice, a combination of both scale-up strategies is often utilized. In a QbD paradigm, there is also a need for an increased fundamental and mechanistic understanding of the process. This can be achieved either by increased experimentation that comes at higher costs, or by using modeling techniques, that are also discussed as part of this review.

Aerosol generation by raindrop impact on soil

Aerosols are investigated because of their significant impact on the environment and human health. To date, windblown dust and sea salt from sea spray through bursting bubbles have been considered the chief mechanisms of environmental aerosol dispersion. Here we investigate aerosol generation from droplets hitting wettable porous surfaces including various classifications of soil. We demonstrate that droplets can release aerosols when they influence porous surfaces, and these aerosols can deliver elements of the porous medium to the environment. Experiments on various porous media including soil and engineering materials reveal that knowledge of the surface properties and impact conditions can be used to predict when frenzied aerosol generation will occur. This study highlights new phenomena associated with droplets on porous media that could have implications for the investigation of aerosol generation in the environment.