Highly efficient removal of bubbles from water pipes by femtosecond laser-designed superhydrophobic porous microstructures

Abstract

Here, we propose a strategy that combines a superhydrophobic surface microstructure with perforated microholes prepared by femtosecond laser processing to efficiently remove bubbles in water pipes. Driven by Laplace pressure and underwater pressure, the bubbles in water are easily absorbed by the superhydrophobic porous thin tube and then discharged into the external air environment. The gas discharge rate of the superhydrophobic porous film is approximately seven times that of the ordinary porous film. Inserting a superhydrophobic porous thin tube in the infusion tube allows entire bubbles to be completely discharged out of the infusion tube. The method of removing bubbles in water based on superhydrophobic porous tubes will have important applications in microfluidic, biomedical, and chemical manufacturing and can effectively avoid the harm caused by tiny bubbles.