Articles tagged with Surface Tension
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.
Physicists Pendar Mahmoudi and Mark Matsen found a simple mathematical formula to describe the interfacial tension between immiscible short- and long-chain polymers. The molecular weight affects segregation levels, leading to universal dependences on polymer distribution.
Researchers studied the movement of acetone droplets on water using a simplified model and three independent approaches, finding that ignoring surface tension's curvature leads to accurate calculations. The study has implications for understanding complex phenomena like droplet gliding and measurements like the Langmuir balance.
Researchers found that soluble surfactants destabilize nanobubbles when adsorbed to substrates, while insoluble surfactants cause a liquid-to-vapor transition model of bubble rupture. This understanding is crucial for optimizing nanobubble applications in medicine, food science, and environmental advancements.
A research team led by Professor Hyoungsoo Kim quantified the Marangoni effect in miscible liquids, revealing a new mechanism for driving transport without surface contamination. The findings have potential applications in removing impurities from surfaces and developing alternative materials to surfactants.
A new study using physics to predict where and how dialects occur suggests that dialects tend to move outwards from population centers. This theory explains why cities have their own dialects and how language boundaries get smoother over time.
Researchers used X-ray studies to investigate the floating properties of pumice rocks, finding that surface tension plays a key role in trapping gases within the rock's pores. The study provides new insights into the longevity of these rocks, which can travel thousands of miles on ocean currents.
Researchers at OIST Graduate University solved the Kirchhoff-Plateau problem, a centuries-old mathematical problem. The solution provides beautiful mathematical results that closely mimic the behavior of soap films in real-world situations, shedding light on energy-minimizing shapes and potential applications in biology.
A recent study published in Developmental Cell reveals that surface cells play a key role in coordinating tissue movements during early zebrafish development. By reducing surface tension, these cells drive both surface cell layer expansion and inner cell intercalation, resulting in coordinated tissue spreading.
A team of researchers found that the shape of a tube, in addition to its size, affects whether liquids will spill. When tubes are elliptical or triangular, gravity can't overcome surface tension, causing liquids to remain inside, unlike circular tubes.
Researchers developed a new way to drive fluid droplets across surfaces in a precisely controlled manner using temperature differences. The method opens up possibilities for highly adaptable microfluidic devices and de-icing technologies.
Researchers at Colorado State University have developed a simple and inexpensive device that can sort droplets of liquid based solely on their varying surface tensions. The device uses a tunable surface chemistry to manipulate its repellency to different liquids, enabling the sorting of droplets by surface tension.
Researchers at Aalto University have developed surfaces that can move liquid droplets by surface tension forces, enabling self-removal of oil contamination. The technology works for various liquids, including water, wine, and ethanol, with potential industrial applications in devices such as inkjet printing.
A new study on plankton's jumping behavior shows that velocity is the primary factor determining whether an animal can break the water's surface. Only certain species of copepods with high impact speeds of around one meter per second can jump out of the water, suggesting they may be the smallest animals capable of this feat.
Researchers created a robot that mimics the jumping ability of water striders by controlling the acceleration of its legs. The robot uses a torque reversal catapult mechanism to generate force without exceeding the maximum force that water surface tension can withstand.
Stanford researchers found that droplets of two-component fluid can sense each other and move like living cells due to balance between surface energy and evaporation. The dynamic interactions enable these inanimate droplets to mimic some behaviors of living cells.
Scientists from North Carolina State University have developed a method for controlling the surface tension of liquid metals by applying very low voltages. This allows researchers to manipulate the shape of antennas, complete or break circuits, and explore various applications in microfluidic channels, MEMS, photonic and optical devices.
Researchers have created a cocktail boat that uses the Marangoni effect to move through an alcoholic drink, propelled by a difference in surface tension. A floral pipette resembling an upside-down flower captures and closes around a drop of liquid, serving as a palate cleanser.
Researchers found that adding salt to water creates ripples on icicles, with the effect only occurring at low salinity levels. The discovery challenges existing theories and has implications for understanding ice dynamics and pattern formation.
Engineers at the University of Missouri-Columbia have developed a clog-free ink jet printer inspired by the human eye. The invention uses a droplet of silicone oil to cover the nozzle opening when not in use, eliminating the need for costly replacements and reducing waste.
Researchers at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland have challenged the long-held concept of surface tension on solid materials. They found that excess surface tension on a solid material does not exist and is incompatible with thermodynamic theory.
The research found that elongated particles behave differently due to surface tension, leading to a uniform coating. The discovery could translate into new formulations for product coatings or better inks and paints.
The study found that changing particle shape can eliminate the coffee ring effect, resulting in a uniform coating. This discovery has potential commercial applications, enabling new techniques for product coatings and inks.
Scientists at the US Department of Agriculture have identified yeast species that produce sophorolipids, a type of green surfactant. The study found three new Candida species that can be used to mass-produce these eco-friendly alternatives.
Engineering researchers developed a low-cost solution to overcome surface tension clumping nanowires during manufacturing, enabling more efficient solar cells and batteries. The new process uses an electrical charge to repel neighboring wires, improving their density and surface area.
Researchers explore how wrinkles adapt to edges and quantify their formation, providing insights into biological tissue and material properties. They find that surface tension forces films to lie flat near the edge, while gravity prefers shallow ripples in the center.
Researchers at Caltech have developed a fluid-dynamical model that reveals nanopillars form through thermocapillary flow, not pressure fluctuations. This discovery paves the way for a new 3D lithography method with high precision and potentially limitless patterns.
Physicists at the University of Chicago have measured nanoscale forces causing droplet formation in a falling stream of tiny glass beads. The resulting 'granular liquid' exhibits surface tension 100,000 times smaller than that found in ordinary liquids.
A University of Pittsburgh research team designed a propulsion system harnessing natural surface tension to propel small boats and robots. The technique uses an electric pulse to destabilize surface tension, causing the craft to move via the water's natural pull.
Researchers have developed a new three-dimensional computer model that reveals surface tension plays a crucial role in cell sorting. The study found that when minority cells make up at least 25% of the mix, they are more likely to be in direct contact with other minority cells, enhancing the surface tension effect and allowing it to dr...
Researchers at MIT have developed a simple process to manufacture materials that strongly repel oils, which could be used in aviation, space travel, and hazardous waste cleanup. The material's unique microfiber structure allows it to cushion droplets of liquid, preventing them from wetting the surface.
An MIT team has solved the case of the throbbbing oil drop, explaining how evaporation-induced variations in surface tension cause a periodic expansion and contraction. The mechanism, which involves three interfaces between oil, water, and air, has implications for environmental engineering and could be applied to biological systems.
Researchers found that under certain conditions, the surface of a strange star could fragment into blobs of quark material called strangelets, forming a rigid halo. This contradicts traditional models and raises questions about the nature of collapsed stars' nuclear leftovers.
Researchers have used cicada wings as stamps to create negative imprints of nano-scale patterns on polymer films. The wings' waxy coating imparts a low surface tension, allowing for the creation of 'nano-wells' with promising anti-reflective properties.
Researchers at the University of Arizona have developed a theory explaining why nanowires thin away at non-zero temperatures. The discovery reveals that higher surface tensions stabilize the wires, making them suitable for repeated use. Copper is identified as the best metal for creating stable nanowires.
Engineers at the University of Florida have developed a water-shedding compound that reduces water retention in fabrics by up to 20%, resulting in faster drying times for clothes. This innovation has the potential to save consumers $266 million annually and reduce residential electricity consumption by 5%.
Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed an optical control technique that can enable the production of new types of microfluidic devices without etching channels. By using lasers to create complex patterns of varying-intensity light on a substrate material, differential heating can be achieved, resulting in thermocapillary action an...
Researchers at Lehigh University have successfully made droplets of water move at faster rates by utilizing surface tension gradients and fast condensation, showing potential applications in heat transfer and microfluidic devices
University of Illinois researchers simulate compressible foam to predict a dramatic morphological transition. They found that increased surface tension compresses most bubbles, forcing the remaining to expand and fill the space, leading to two distinct phases of foam.
Recent experiments at the University of Illinois cast doubt on the theory that segregation of coarse particles creates finger patterns. Instead, researchers found evidence suggesting an effective surface tension generated by cohesive forces between grains may be responsible for the formation of these patterns.