Nanowerk April 30, 2018
Researchers at Purdue University first submerged the superhydrophobic surface and then heated the surrounding water, being careful to not boil directly from the surface itself. Doing so removed the layer of air that is normally trapped within the texture of the superhydrophobic surface, allowing water to penetrate the texture and fully wet it, as it would for a hydrophilic surface. This resulted in the “pinning” of small bubbles during boiling, making them depart without coalescing into a vapor blanket and help keep the surface wet with liquid water. Hydrophobic materials are also able to form many more small bubbles than hydrophilic surfaces, allowing the surface to be cooled more efficiently. The discovery has applications in cooling high-power electronics, supercomputers, aircraft and consumer electronics… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
Superhydrophobic surfaces are normally insulated by vapor when brought to a boil but getting water to stick makes them boil very efficiently, better than hydrophilic surfaces. (Image: Taylor Allred, Purdue University)