Articles tagged with Surface Tension
A team of researchers has developed a robot with self-morphing, wing-like feet that mimic the agile movements of water striders. The insect-scale robot enhances surface maneuverability and can execute sharp turns in just 50 milliseconds, rivaling the rapid aerial maneuvers of flying flies.
Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, used molecular-scale simulations to understand ice formation. They found that the arrangement of water molecules in the two layers closest to the surface is crucial for nucleation, promoting a low-dimensional hexagonal crystal lattice at the surface.
The robot leverages the Marangoni effect to propel itself forward, utilizing citric acid, sodium bicarbonate, and propylene glycol as non-toxic and biodegradable components. The device can act as a source of nourishment for aquatic wildlife, promoting sustainability in environmental monitoring.
A team of researchers has solved a puzzle in fluid mechanics using an experiment featuring an ink-on-milk maze. The study reveals how the presence of surfactants in milk helps the ink/soap mixture navigate the maze by exploiting variations in surface tension.
Scientists from Japan have discovered a new type of ice, known as ice 0, which can cause water droplets to freeze near their surface rather than at their core. This discovery resolves a debate about the formation of ice and has significant implications for climate studies and food sciences.
A new technology combines femtosecond laser-designed lubricated slippery surfaces with electrostatic interactions to manipulate droplets. This allows for diverse working conditions and functions, including driving droplets on inclined surfaces, manipulating various liquids, and sorting particles.
The study reveals that the formation of pyramid-shaped structures around water molecules is dominant at low ethanol concentrations, but chain-like structures become more prevalent at higher temperatures. This explains why baijiu has a distinct taste at room temperature, which disappears at higher temperatures.
Scientists from OIST created synthetic droplets to mimic biological processes, finding that pH gradients facilitate Marangoni effect and enabling droplets to detect and migrate towards each other. This study sheds light on the movement of simplest forms of life in primordial soup billions of years ago.
Researchers from Aalto University have identified the previously unidentified physics at play when water droplets move on superhydrophobic surfaces. By adapting a novel force measurement technique, they eliminated the drag-like force and proposed a solution to improve the performance of hydrophobic surfaces.
Vaping additives, particularly vitamin E, can damage the lungs by inhibiting gas exchange and lung stability. The study used Langmuir films to simulate the expansion and compression of the pulmonary surfactant, observing how the additive changed its properties and monitored changes as more were added.
Scientists at KAUST have observed that water droplets condense onto a cold surface coated with oil exhibit complex dance-like motion. This phenomenon could lead to more efficient water harvesting systems, especially in arid regions. The research aims to optimize collective motion of condensing droplets to increase condensation rates.
Millimeter-sized droplets can be levitated for long periods using solutocapillary convection within a pool of silicone liquid, allowing researchers to study the activity of viruses and microorganisms in airborne aerosols. This phenomenon has potential applications in microbiology and biochemistry.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researchers are using the ring-sheared drop module on the International Space Station to study protein solutions in microgravity. This research will aid in developing predictive models for both fundamental science and industry, including pharmaceutical development.
Scientists have developed a technique for applying liquid metal to surfaces that don't easily bond with it, using force-responsive adhesion. The method allows for the creation of electronic 'smart devices' from everyday materials like paper and plastic.
Researchers have developed a simplified surface design that enables liquid directional steering on the same surface as conventional designs. The new surface topography features dual reentrant curvatures and microgrooves, which regulate liquids' spreading dynamics. This innovation simplifies fabrication and opens up practical applications.
Experimental physicists discovered that water impurities become entrapped within icicles, creating chevron patterns and ripple effects. The study reveals that internal patterns are connected to external shapes, leading to a deeper understanding of natural ice formations.
CSU researchers created the first successful soft robotic gripper capable of manipulating individual droplets of liquid, enabling precise and lossless liquid cleanup work. The innovative device is lightweight, inexpensive, and can be used for hazardous liquid cleanup scenarios.
A new study proposes a method of foam stabilization that could be used to make highly efficient hand sanitizers. The team added an anionic surfactant, long-chain alcohols, and an inorganic electrolyte to an aqueous solution containing 60% ethanol by volume.
Scientists at Chung-Ang University have pioneered a novel method for controlling microdroplet motion on solid surfaces using near-infrared light. This approach allows for more precise control than traditional thermal techniques and opens up new possibilities for applications in microfluidics, drug delivery, and self-cleaning surfaces.
A team of University of Minnesota researchers has discovered the molecular properties of lung surfactants, which could lead to improved treatments for respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia and COVID-19. The study found that synthetic lung coatings can help premature infants and adults with respiratory problems breathe easier.
Researchers at the University of Bath have developed a new coating method for soft robots that allows them to change shape and movement through human-controlled activity. This breakthrough in active matter could lead to the creation of machines governed by individual units that cooperate to determine movement and function.
Researchers at City University of Hong Kong have developed a novel droplet manipulation method called WRAP, which can transport micro-sized droplets using electromagnets or programmable electromagnetic fields. The method overcomes challenges in traditional magnetic actuation, such as contamination from added magnetic particles.
University of Houston engineers Jiming Bao and Feng Lin create upward fountains in deep water by shining laser beams on the surface, attributing the phenomenon to the Marangoni effect. The discovery has potential applications in lithography, 3D printing, heat transfer, and microfluidics.
Researchers at MIT have developed a method to control the interaction between liquids and solids, allowing for the creation of surfaces with high or low wettability. This breakthrough has potential applications in various industries, including thermal management, protective coatings, and heat pipes.
Researchers at UNSW have developed liquid metal enabled continuous flow reactors that can produce materials with tuneable system performance and controlled material quality. The systems rely on surface tension to pump fluids, eliminating the need for mechanical parts.
Researchers at University of Toronto develop polymer coating that enables low surface tension liquids to be transported over distances up to 15 times longer than currently possible. This technology has important implications for microfluidics, lab-on-a-chip devices and point-of-care diagnostics.
Researchers from Michigan Technological University created a robot that uses Marangoni propulsion to move across liquid surfaces like insects. The robot's design is inspired by the ability of certain species to manipulate surface tension for speed and maneuverability.
Researchers at City University of Hong Kong discovered a way to steer the spreading direction of liquids on a surface inspired by the Araucaria leaf. By adjusting the surface tension, they can control the liquid flow direction, with implications for fluidics design and heat transfer enhancement.
Researchers at MIT have quantified the phenomenon for the first time, finding that boiling droplets on hot oily surfaces move rapidly due to a thin oil cloak coating the outside of each water droplet. This cloak acts as a kind of balloon skin, holding vapor bubbles in place and imparting momentum.
Researchers at UMass Amherst have developed a platform for interactive soft materials that can respond to external stimuli in predictable ways. By mimicking the natural oscillators found in animals, the team created a diverse array of oscillators that can move in unison and adapt to changes in light and temperature.
Convection may be to blame for stuck-on food in nonstick pans due to temperature gradients and surface tension changes. Researchers determined conditions that lead to dry spots, including decreasing film thickness and size of deformed region below critical values.
Researchers have unraveled the mechanisms of how cells capture and degrade fluid droplets through autophagy. The study reveals that a tug-of-war between the droplet's surface tension and the isolation membrane's bending energy governs this process, with the outcome determining whether a piece or complete droplet is captured.
Princeton University researchers have developed a new method to design and control complex mixtures with multiple phases, mimicking the arrangement of Russian matryoshka dolls. This approach uses graph theory to predict final arrangements of phases in a mixture when surface energies are known.
Researchers at Michigan Technological University have developed tiny surfing robots that can manipulate surface tension to propel themselves through water. This breakthrough could lead to new biomedical applications, such as surgery, by understanding the colonization of bacteria in the body.
A new, tiny fiber optic force sensor has been developed by researchers, enabling precise measurements of small forces and opening up potential applications in medical systems and manufacturing. The sensor, made of silica glass, measures forces with a resolution better than a micronewton and has a broad measuring range.
Researchers challenge previous understanding of viscous bubble behavior, concluding that surface tension and dynamic stress are key drivers of bubble collapse. In viscous liquids, bubbles exhibit structural instability characterized by radial wrinkles around the periphery, a phenomenon previously attributed to gravity.
Sachin Velankar receives $292K from NSF to study micromechanics of surface tension, exploring its impact on material flow behavior. The research aims to understand particle cluster dynamics and inform industrial processes like oil drilling, 3D printing, and food industry mixing.
Researchers have developed a new understanding of fluid movement in tiny channels and created a method to stimulate flow by manipulating surface tension through temperature or voltage changes. This discovery has implications for various fields, including drug delivery, energy conversion, and power generation.
Researchers from NC State University demonstrate a technique to produce streams of liquid metal at room temperature by applying a low voltage, lowering its surface tension across three orders of magnitude. The study reveals the potential applications for this technique in creating stretchable wires and studying fluid behavior.
Researchers found that a phenomenon known as the Marangoni effect helps mezcal bubbles linger longer when alcohol content is around 50%, allowing artisans to determine perfect distillation levels. The study also reveals new fundamental details about bubble lifetimes on liquid surfaces.
A new study by Waseda University researchers found that orbital ordering in a vanadate compound exhibits a clear nucleation-growth behavior. The team discovered two soft phases similar to vapor and water, with surface tension between the phases, a phenomenon never observed before in electron-based phase transitions.
Researchers found that surface-active species significantly impact droplet formation, improving climate model accuracy. By accounting for curved surfaces and accurate thermodynamic models, they reduced discrepancies in predicted nucleation rates.
Researchers created a new model to account for wine tears' complex fluid structures, which form due to changes in surface tension induced by alcohol evaporation. The study reveals the interplay between gravity, surface tension, and fluid physics leading to these unusual phenomena.
Researchers found that capillary forces in graphene oxide hydrogels can be regulated by surface tension, allowing for the creation of dense yet porous materials. By using solvents with different surface tensions, the microstructure of the resulting materials can be precisely manipulated and densified.
A team of scientists has discovered a voltage-induced 'superfluid' like penetration effect in liquid metals at room temperature, mimicking the properties of liquid helium superfluids. The phenomenon occurs due to the reduction of surface tension, enabling the liquid metal to superwet and penetrate porous materials.
The research focuses on improving oil recovery efficiency through innovative integrated methods and polymer solutions. Laboratory experiments demonstrate the significant influence of mineral skeleton properties on polymer viscosity, highlighting the importance of optimal concentration selection.
Using superhydrophobic surfaces and vertical condensers, the team found that combining surface tension and gravity increases condenser efficiency. This method sheds moisture more efficiently than relying solely on jumping droplets or gravity, benefiting power plants and other heat exchange systems.
Researchers used computational models to investigate how liquid drops behave on surfaces. They found that the presence of a substrate makes breakup more likely, leading to three possible scenarios: collapse into one droplet, break up into multiple droplets, or re-form back into a single droplet.
Researchers discovered geckos' unique locomotion method, combining leg slapping, skin surface tension, and tail propulsion. The findings could inspire rapid swimming robots for search and rescue operations.
Geckos use four distinct strategies to run on water: surface tension, leg slapping, semi-planing, and tail swishing. They achieve speeds exceeding those of larger aquatic animals, such as ducks and muskrats, due to their unique combination of locomotive capabilities.
A new study reveals geckos use a unique combination of slapping, surface tension, and their superhydrophobic skin to scurry across the water's surface. This behavior is ideal for developing robots that can mimic the animal's aquatic agility in search and rescue missions.
Princeton researchers have created a way to construct tiny structures, such as soft lenses for smartphones, using a simple method that doesn't require special equipment. The technique uses a liquid film and lasers to create precise patterns of droplets, resulting in uniform hexagonal structures.
A hydraulic jump occurs when water hits a sink, causing waves and turbulence. Researchers at Cambridge University have explained this phenomenon using surface tension, debunking a 200-year-old theory. The study's findings have wide-reaching implications for industries with high water consumption.
HAMR can walk on land, swim on the surface of water, and walk underwater for as long as necessary, opening up new environments for exploration. The robot uses electrowetting to break the water surface and can paddle its legs at a frequency of up to 10 Hz.
Scientists found that a trapped air bubble, not the water droplet itself, causes the 'plink' sound produced by a dripping tap. Changing surface tension or adding dish soap can stop the sound. The study published in Scientific Reports could lead to more efficient ways to measure rainfall or develop realistic water sounds for gaming and ...
Researchers studied liquid sheet behavior in open space without air interaction, considering vacuum oil with variable viscosity and surface tension. They found instabilities due to temperature gradients and surface tension gradients, which can lead to fragmentation of the sheet into droplets.
Researchers uncovered the anomaly in water's properties by using supercomputers to 'untune' its interactions, revealing a specific molecular arrangement that contributes to its unusual behavior. This discovery provides a simple explanation for phenomena such as water expanding on cooling and insects walking on its surface.
Researchers at OIST Graduate University studied the Marangoni effect, which causes soap to spread on water's surface. They developed a method to quantify the phenomenon through three independent measurements, showing that surfactant dissolution and spreading affect its behavior.
Researchers at North Carolina State University have discovered that applying low voltage to gallium indium can induce the formation of unique fractal patterns. The discovery has significant implications for controlling liquid metals, as it allows for reversible and effective manipulation of surface tension.
The new RoboBee, 1,000 times lighter than previous robots, uses floating devices and an internal combustion system to stabilize on the water's surface before propelling itself back into the air. The robot can perform search-and-rescue operations, environmental monitoring, and biological studies.