Preparation of Superhydrophobic Cu Mesh and Its Application in Rolling-Spheronization Granulation

Preparation of Phase Change Melt Marbles with High Thermal Stability by Spontaneous Shrinkage and Encapsulation

Liquid marbles (LMs) are widely used in the fields of microfluids, gas sensitivity equipment, and microreactors. However, the thermal stability of the encapsulated liquid poses difficulty to the high-temperature stability of LMs. In this study, polar phase-change materials (PCMs) with high melting points were used as the encapsulated liquid of LMs. According to the required temperature, suitable PCMs were selected as the core and encapsulated by hydrophobic SiO₂ particles to form melt marbles (MMs). The types of PCMs used to prepare the MMs include erythritol, elemental sulfur, urea, and molten salts. Based on the premixed melting method, a series of MMs with high melting points and thermal stability were successfully developed. The highest acceptable temperature of the MMs exceeded 323 °C, and the evaporation rate of erythritol MMs was less than 1% at 140 °C in 8 h. Thus, the MMs maintained their excellent stability through multiple phase transitions. In the molten state, the MMs exhibited the properties of bounce ability, cuttability, and deformation resistance. The performance of the PCMs in energy storage and release during phase transition demonstrates their potential applications in the field of heat storage.

Ultralow Adhesion and Phase Change Behaviors of Sulfur Droplets on the Superhydrophobic Surface and Its Application in the Granulation Process

Traditional sulfur granulation process is often accompanied by high dust and mechanical friction, which are dangerous and harmful to the environment. In this work, the application of the superhydrophobic surface to sulfur granulation is expected to solve the above problem. Two superhydrophobic metal sheets were prepared, and the rolling angles of the two samples are both less than 10°. The contact angles of liquid sulfur are 152.7 ± 0.5 and 151.3 ± 0.1°, respectively. The adhesion rates of both samples are less than 0.5 wt %. The solidifying process of a sulfur drop on the superhydrophobic surface was recorded and simulated, conforming that the substrate temperature has a great influence on the solidifying process. Based on the above findings, static granulation and rolling to granulation were proposed. The product obtained by the two methods has uniform particle size distribution and excellent compressive strength, showing a good industrial application prospect. This study provides a referral strategy for an economical and environmentally friendly sulfur granulation process.

Mechanically durable and long-term repairable flexible lubricant-infused monomer for enhancing water collection efficiency by manipulating droplet coalescence and sliding

Lubricant-infused surfaces have attracted widespread attention due to their excellent liquid and organic solution repellency. On account of their high condensation heat transfer coefficient and low nucleation energy barrier, many lubricant-infused surfaces have been applied in water collection. However, they have a number of shortcomings, such as an unstable lubricating layer, poor mechanical/chemical stability and hard shedding, which severely limit the application of slippery surfaces. In this work, the silicone oil was infused into a superhydrophobic monomer (SHM) to form a flexible lubricant-infused monomer (FLIM) with outstanding sliding ability and omniphobicity for low surface energy liquids. Because the silicone oil is similar to the base molecule, there is a strong interacting force to hold the lubricant layer to the surface of the SHM. In addition, the high viscosity of the silicone oil further strengthens the lubricant layer adhesion. Therefore, the FLIM could resist hot liquid and high shear stress (up to 5000 rpm). In addition, the FLIM substrate possessed a self-similar low surface energy structure, which could endure various physical and chemical damages, such as abrasion, scratching, stretching, strong acid and alkali. Finally, pinned droplets could coalesce into large droplets to slide down its surface, resulting from the strain/release due to the high degree of deformation of the surface, which highly enhanced water/liquid coalescence and collection. The preparation of the FLIM was green and the chemicals involved were inexpensive and environmentally friendly, and thus it can be applied for large-scale water collection.

Preparation of edible superhydrophobic Fe foil with excellent stability and durability and its applications in food containers with little residue

A facile three-step strategy to prepare edible superhydrophobic Fe foil with excellent stability and regeneration.