MODELLING AND INVESTIGATION OF THE DEPENDENCE OF SUPERHYDROPHOBIC PROPERTIES OF NANOSURFACES ON THE TOPOLOGY OF MICROCHANNELS

Abstract

In the Cassie-Baxter state anisotropic superhydrophobic surfaces have high lubricating properties. Such superhydrophobic surfaces are used in medical implants, aircraft industry, vortex bioreactors etc. In spite of the fact that quantitative understanding of fluid dynamics on anisotropic superhydrophobic surfaces has been broadened substantially for last several years, there still are some unsolved problems in this field. This work investigates dynamics of a liquid on unidirectional superhydrophobic surfaces in the Cassie-Baxter state, when surface texture is filled with gas and, consequently, the liquid virtually is located on some kind of an air cushion. Energy of the interphase boundary liquid-gas is much smaller than energy of the interphase boundary solid-liquid, that is why the contact angle at wetting such surfaces differs a lot from the Young contact angle and depends on contact area ratio of liquid-gas and liquid-solid in visible contact of liquid and surface. Considering difference in energy obtained if we slightly shift the three-phase contact line, expression for macroscopic equilibrium contact angle, which describes the Cassie-Baxter state, can be deduced. In the work the design formula for computing local-slip length profiles of liquid on the considered superhydrophobic surfaces is obtained.