Evaporation Kinetics Research Articles

Evaporation and liquid-phase separation of ethanol–cyclohexane binary drops under acoustic levitation

Evaporation of cyclohexane and ethanol binary drops under acoustic levitation was investigated. The aim was to understand the effect of acoustic levitation on the evaporation dynamics and involved physical processes of the binary drops. We report the occurrence of liquid-phase separation of the binary drop during evaporation under acoustic levitation. Through systematic experiments, it was found that the enhanced evaporation rate of the drop under acoustic levitation led to a significant temperature decrease. In addition, driven by external acoustic streaming, water vapor tended to be enriched and condensed on the drop surface. Because ethanol is extremely soluble in water, tiny cyclohexane droplets were extracted from ethanol owing to water condensation. In addition, driven by the internal flow of the acoustically levitated drop, the extracted cyclohexane droplets coalesced, eventually resulting in macro-segregation in the drop. These findings provide new insights into the evaporation dynamics of acoustically levitated drops, thus, shedding light on industrial purification and separation of volatile liquids with opposite water solubilities, such as cyclohexane and ethanol.

Effect of Contact Angle Hysteresis on Evaporation Dynamics of a Sessile Drop on a Heated Surface

Contact angle hysteresis (CAH) is a significant factor affecting the drop motion on solid substrates. A model of CAH is introduced to explore the influence of CAH on the dynamics of a sessile drop on a uniformly heated surface, and a two-dimensional evolution equation of the drop thickness is established using the lubrication approximation and Navier slip boundary conditions. A numerical simulation is performed to examine the dynamic behaviors of an evaporating drop, and the drop profile, contact angle, contact line, and moving speed are investigated. Simulated results indicate that the drop evolution process involves drop spreading, pinning, and depinning of the contact line. In the drop spreading stage, when the hysteresis angle increases, the spreading period is shortened, and the spreading radius and spreading speed are reduced; in contrast, the pinning period is raised, and the mass of the drop is apparently reduced with increasing hysteresis angle. In the depinning stage, the CAH declines the contact angle, and a flatter pattern is evolved, thereby improving the heat transfer performance, promoting drop evaporation, and shortening the depinning time. The presence of CAH can speed up the drying of the drop, and the large hysteresis angle leads to faster evaporation. Regulating the CAH is an effective way to manipulate the motion of the contact line for an evaporating drop.

Mucin Transiently Sustains Coronavirus Infectivity through Heterogenous Changes in Phase Morphology of Evaporating Aerosol.

Respiratory pathogens can be spread though the transmission of aerosolised expiratory secretions in the form of droplets or particulates. Understanding the fundamental aerosol parameters that govern how such pathogens survive whilst airborne is essential to understanding and developing methods of restricting their dissemination. Pathogen viability measurements made using Controlled Electrodynamic Levitation and Extraction of Bioaerosol onto Substrate (CELEBS) in tandem with a comparative kinetics electrodynamic balance (CKEDB) measurements allow for a direct comparison between viral viability and evaporation kinetics of the aerosol with a time resolution of seconds. Here, we report the airborne survival of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) and determine a comparable loss of infectivity in the aerosol phase to our previous observations of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Through the addition of clinically relevant concentrations of mucin to the bioaerosol, there is a transient mitigation of the loss of viral infectivity at 40% RH. Increased concentrations of mucin promoted heterogenous phase change during aerosol evaporation, characterised as the formation of inclusions within the host droplet. This research demonstrates the role of mucus in the aerosol phase and its influence on short-term airborne viral stability.

Regulating complex fluid sessile droplet evaporation kinetics by suppression of internal electro-convection

We report the phenomenology of suppression of the evaporation kinetics of electrically conducting saline sessile droplets in the presence of transverse electric field stimulus. Our experimental results show that the evaporation rates (on hydrophilic and superhydrophobic surfaces) of saline droplets are higher than water droplets, but the rates reduce when an alternating electric field is applied across the saline droplets. The reduction is noted to be a direct function of the electric field strength, and the contact line dynamics of the drying droplet are largely affected. After the classical vapour-diffusion-driven evaporation models fail to explain the modified evaporation kinetics, the flow visualization and infrared thermography were performed to diagnose the internal thermo- and solutal-electrohydrodynamics. Suppression of the internal circulation velocities is observed in the saline sessile droplets under the application of the electric field. A scaling analysis model is proposed based on the internal advection mechanisms to quantify the role of electrohydrodynamics, electro-thermal, electro-solutal convection, and the Electrohydrodynamic number on the internal circulation velocity and evaporation rates. The model incorporates the effects played by the governing Marangoni, Capillary, evaporative Jacob, electro-Prandtl, and electro-Schmidt numbers towards morphing the thermo-solutal advection and is in agreement with the experimental results. An interfacial shear modified Stefan flow analysis is put forward to determine the reduced evaporation rates, and a good match with the experimental observations is obtained.

Monoterpene Photooxidation in a Continuous-Flow Chamber: SOA Yields and Impacts of Oxidants, NOx, and VOC Precursors.

Monoterpene photooxidation plays an important role in secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation in the atmosphere. The low-volatility products can enhance new particle formation and particle growth and thus influence climate feedback. Here, we present the results of α-pinene and Δ-3-carene photooxidation experiments conducted in continuous-flow mode in an environmental chamber under several reaction conditions. The roles of oxidants, addition of NO, and VOC molecular structure in influencing SOA yield are illustrated. SOA yield from α-pinene photooxidation shows a weak dependence on H2O2 concentration, which is a proxy for HO2 concentration. The high O/C ratios observed in the α-pinene photooxidation products suggest the production of highly oxygenated organic molecules (HOM). Addition of ozone to the chamber during low-NOx photooxidation experiments leads to higher SOA yield. With the addition of NO, the production of N-containing HOMs is enhanced and the SOA yield shows a modest, nonlinear dependence on the input NO concentration. Carene photooxidation leads to higher SOA yield than α-pinene under similar reaction conditions, which agrees with the lower volatility retrieved from evaporation kinetics experiments. These results improve the understanding of SOA formation from monoterpene photooxidation and could be applied to refine the representation of biogenic SOA formation in models.

Heat Transfer during Nitrogen Boiling on Surfaces Modified by Microarc Oxidation

Despite the many different methods for creating modified heat transfer surfaces to increase critical heat fluxes and heat transfer coefficients at pool boiling of various liquids at given reduced pressures, active research is currently underway to find optimal surface morphology and geometric parameters of structures for practical application. In this work, we used the method of microarc oxidation (MAO) to obtain coatings with different microstructures on the surface of duralumin heaters. In the present work, we studied the effect of MAO coatings on heat transfer, critical heat flux, and evaporation dynamics during liquid nitrogen boiling under conditions of steady-state heat release at pressures of 0.1, 0.05, and 0.017 MPa. It was shown that the modification of heaters led to a 50–60% increase in heat transfer coefficients as compared to the smooth one under the atmospheric pressure. Based on the data of high-speed video filming of boiling, it was shown that the main mechanism of intensification is the increase in quantity of active nucleation sites. A significant decrease in pressure led to the absence of a significant difference in both heat transfer intensity and evaporation dynamics for the smooth and modified heaters.

Revealing the Role of Methylammonium Iodide Purity on the Vapor‐Phase Deposition Process of Perovskites

Vapor deposition processes, well established in the industry, are considered a cost‐effective manufacturing route for large‐area depositions of lead halide perovskites. However, the vapor deposition of perovskites is constrained by its low reproducibility, whereby in particular the evaporation of methylammonium iodide (MAI) is frequently reported as extremely challenging. Herein, the influence of impurities on the evaporation dynamics of MAI is analyzed. It is proved that MAI heated in a high vacuum, depending on the purity, either undergoes a sublimation with a subsequent desublimation or a chemical decomposition with a following reverse reaction, leading to solid MAI in both cases. In situ mass spectrometry enables us to show that low purity MAI containing water and methylammonium phosphite impurities mainly sublimes, which results in a directional and by crystal microbalances traceable evaporation. In contrast, high purity MAI sublimes at higher temperatures and tends to form decomposition products such as methylamine and hydrogen iodide, which omnidirectional diffuse and can react with lead iodide to perovskite. The findings reveal the reason for the reported challenges, serve as a guideline for future material selections, and can enhance the reproducibility of the evaporation process to achieve a more controlled solar cell fabrication.

Virus Dynamics and Decay in Evaporating Human Saliva Droplets on Fomites.

The transmission of most respiratory pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, occurs via virus-containing respiratory droplets, and thus, factors that affect virus viability in droplet residues on surfaces are of critical medical and public health importance. Relative humidity (RH) is known to play a role in virus survival, with a U-shaped relationship between RH and virus viability. The mechanisms affecting virus viability in droplet residues, however, are unclear. This study examines the structure and evaporation dynamics of virus-containing saliva droplets on fomites and their impact on virus viability using four model viruses: vesicular stomatitis virus, herpes simplex virus 1, Newcastle disease virus, and coronavirus HCoV-OC43. The results support the hypothesis that the direct contact of antiviral proteins and virions within the "coffee ring" region of the droplet residue gives rise to the observed U-shaped relationship between virus viability and RH. Viruses survive much better at low and high RH, and their viability is substantially reduced at intermediate RH. A phenomenological theory explaining this phenomenon and a quantitative model analyzing and correlating the experimentally measured virus survivability are developed on the basis of the observations. The mechanisms by which RH affects virus viability are explored. At intermediate RH, antiviral proteins have optimal influence on virions because of their largest contact time and overlap area, which leads to the lowest level of virus activity.

Evaporation Dynamics of Sessile Saline Microdroplets in Oil.

The occurrence of concentration and temperature gradients in saline microdroplets evaporating directly in air makes them unsuitable for nucleation studies where homogeneous composition is required. This can be addressed by immersing the droplet in oil under regulated humidity and reducing the volume to the picoliter range. However, the evaporation dynamics of such a system is not well understood. In this work, we present evaporation models applicable for arrays of sessile microdroplets with dissolved solute submerged in a thin layer of oil. Our model accounts for the variable diffusion distance due to the presence of the oil film separating the droplet and air, the variation of the solution density and water activity due to the evolving solute concentration, and the diffusive interaction between neighboring droplets. Our model shows excellent agreement with experimental data for both pure water and NaCl solution. With this model, we demonstrate that assuming a constant evaporation rate and neglecting the diffusive interactions can lead to severe inaccuracies in the measurement of droplet concentration, particularly during nucleation experiments. Given the significance of droplet evaporation in a wide array of scientific and industrial applications, the models and insights presented herein would be of great value to many fields of interest.

The selected quality aspects of infrared-dried black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) and yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larvae pre-treated by pulsed electric field

Drying is one of the most important steps in processing of edible insects biomass for their potential utilisation in food applications. In this study, the impact of pulsed electric field (PEF) pre-treatment (at E = 1.07 kV/cm and Wspec = 5 and 20 kJ/kg) on infrared-assisted air drying kinetics of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) and yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larvae has been evaluated. Moreover, microbial load and physical quality parameters of dried matter have been analyzed. The results show that PEF enhances the kinetics of water evaporation from insects biomass, especially in the range of the moisture ratio (MR) from 1.0 to 0.2. For instance, in the case of having been drying H. illucens larvae for 20 min, MR equalled 0.86, 0.75, and 0.72 for the untreated sample, 5 kJ/kg PEF-treated and 20 kJ/kg PEF-treated one, respectively. The effect of the PEF treatment was less visible in the case of H. illucens larvae and for low MR values. The PEF pre-treatment did not affect the water binding properties of dried insect biomass, regardless of species. However, the PEF pre-treated matter exhibited the same or even higher hygroscopic properties than the untreated ones. The difference in optical properties between untreated and PEF-treated samples was marginal. Nevertheless, for microbial contamination, 20 kJ/kg PEF treatment reduced the total number of microorganisms by 0.5–1.0 log cycle in comparison to the dried matter that had not been pre-treated. Nevertheless, the total number of microorganisms was too high to be feasible for food production purposes which would require additional operations to ensure food safety. Industrial relevanceThe interest in utilisation of insects as an alternative source of macronutrients for food and feed is growing tremendously. Drying is one of the most popular first steps in further processing technology applicable to insect biomass. Since air drying is one of the longest and the most energy consuming unit operation, there is a need to seek alternative methods that can be coupled with pre-treatment to enhance the process kinetics. In this paper, the combination of infrared drying of two species of insects preceded by pulsed electric field treatment has been discussed.

Short- and Long-Term Effects of a Multi-Component, Artificial Tear on Preocular Tear Film Stability, Tear Evaporation and Tear Film Optical Dynamic: A Prospective Randomized Double-Phase Study

Purpose To evaluate the short- (within 90 min) and long-term (after 21 days of treatment) effects of an artificial tear containing carbomer, hyaluronic acid, glycerol, and medium-chain triglycerides in patients with mild-to-moderate dry eye symptoms. Methods Subjects received the tested artificial tears in the right eye and control artificial tears in the left eye and were assessed 10, 30, 60, and 90 min after instillation in the short-term study phase. They received the study product in both eyes in the long-term phase. Non-invasive break-up time (NIBUT), tear lipid layer pattern, tear evaporation, and tear film objective optical dynamics (TFOOD) were measured in controlled environmental conditions. Results In total, 32 patients (10 males, mean age 42 ± 11 years) were enrolled. During the short-term phase, NIBUT increased significantly in the right eyes at all time points compared with baseline (all p < 0.05). Conversely, in the left eyes, NIBUT increased significantly at 10 and 30 min (p < 0.05). The tear evaporation values increased at 10 min and decreased at 30 and 60 min (p < 0.05) in the right eyes, while they increased only at 10 min (p < 0.05) in the left eyes. Compared with baseline, the TFOOD was significantly more stable at all time points in the right eyes (p < 0.05), while it was more stable at 10 and 30 min in the left eyes (p < 0.05). In the long-term phase, treated eyes showed a significant increase in NIBUT values, a significant reduction of tear evaporation, a significant improvement of tear lipid layer pattern, and a more stable TFOOD compared with baseline (all p < 0.05). Symptoms, measured with the Ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaire, were also significantly reduced compared with baseline (p < 0.05). Conclusion The tested product increased tear film stability and reduced tear evaporation, normalizing lipid layer pattern and reducing symptoms in the short- and long-term observation.

Evaporation of As and Sn from Liquid Iron: Experiments and a Kinetic Model during Top-Blown Oxygen Steelmaking Process.

Evaporation kinetics of tramp elements (M = As and Sn) in liquid iron were investigated by high-temperature gas–liquid reaction experiments and a phenomenological kinetic model. Residual content of As or Sn in the liquid iron ([pct M]) during the evaporation was measured in the temperature range of 1680 C to 1760 C. [pct As] and [pct Sn] decreased faster as the reaction temperature and [pct C] increased. Assuming first-order reaction kinetics, the apparent rate constants () were obtained at each reaction temperature and [pct C]. [pct M] in a liquid iron during the top-blown oxygen steelmaking process was simulated, with an emphasis on enlarging the reaction surface area by forming a large number of liquid iron droplets. The surface area and the droplet generation rate were obtained based on the oxygen-blowing condition. The whole surface area increased up to ∼163 times the initial liquid iron (bath) surface area, due to the generation of the droplets. Using the obtained in the present study, the evaporation of M during the top-blown oxygen steelmaking process for 200 tonnes of liquid iron was simulated. For a condition of [pct M] = 0.005 (M = As and Sn), As and Sn could be removed from the liquid iron, which was seen to be much improved by the consideration of the droplet generation. However, additional actions are required to improve the evaporation rate, as the evaporation rate in the BOF process was not fast enough to be practically considered.

Evapotranspiration dynamics in aerated and non-aerated subsurface flow treatment wetlands

This study reports the seasonal dynamics of evapotranspiration (ET) and evaporation (E) in different subsurface flow treatment wetlands operating in a temperate European climate. Daily water balances were compiled over the course of ten years (August 2010–July 2020). The study includes non-aerated horizontal flow wetlands (25 cm deep and 50 cm deep) as well as horizontal flow and vertical flow wetlands. The pilot systems were operated in planted and unplanted pairs, enabling Phragmites evapotranspiration rates (for planted systems) and evaporation rates (for unplanted systems) to be calculated. Evapotranspiration rates are highly seasonal. Aeration was observed to increase both evaporation and evapotranspiration rates. The overall percentage of inflow lost to ET was highest in non-aerated wetlands, due to the lower hydraulic load that they received compared to the aerated systems. Plant coefficients (Kp) relate measured evapotranspiration with the calculated reference evapotranspiration ETo. Wetlands planted with Phragmites display dynamic and highly seasonal values of Kp which are well-characterized by a sinusoidal curve during the growing season paired with a minimum (stable) value in the non-growing season. Aeration was observed to increase both evapotranspiration and evaporation rates. The concept of a Plant Scaling Factor (PSF) is introduced as a way of quantifying the “clothesline effect” observed in small treatment wetlands. Whereas unplanted systems effectively have a PSF of zero, the systems in this study (ranging in size from 5.6 to 6.2 m2) exhibited PSF values between 3.8 and 4.8 when the vegetation was fully mature.

Vapour-liquid rebalancing behaviour of free water evaporation kinetics: experimental investigation and modelling

Vapour-liquid rebalancing behaviour of free water evaporation kinetics: experimental investigation and modelling

Evaporation from a large lowland reservoir – observed dynamics and drivers during a warm summer

Abstract. We study the controls on open water evaporation of a large lowland reservoir in the Netherlands. To this end, we analyse the dynamics of open water evaporation at two locations, Stavoren and Trintelhaven, at the border of Lake IJssel (1100 km2); eddy covariance systems were installed at these locations during the summer seasons of 2019 and 2020. These measurements were used to develop data-driven models for both locations. Such a statistical model is a clean and simple approach that can provide a direct indication of (and insight into) the most relevant input parameters involved in explaining the variance in open water evaporation, without making a priori assumptions regarding the process itself. We found that a combination of wind speed and the vertical vapour pressure gradient can explain most of the variability in observed hourly open water evaporation. This is in agreement with Dalton’s model, which is a well-established model often used in oceanographic studies for calculating open water evaporation. Validation of the data-driven models demonstrates that a simple model using only two variables yields satisfactory results at Stavoren, with R2 values of 0.84 and 0.78 for hourly and daily data respectively. However, the validation results for Trintelhaven fall short, with R2 values of 0.67 and 0.65 for hourly and daily data respectively. Validation of the simple models that only use routinely measured meteorological variables shows adequate performance at hourly (R2=0.78 at Stavoren and R2=0.51 at Trintelhaven) and daily (R2=0.82 at Stavoren and R2=0.87 at Trintelhaven) timescales. These results for the summer periods show that open water evaporation is not directly coupled to global radiation at the hourly or daily timescale. Rather a combination of wind speed and vertical gradient of vapour pressure is the main driver at these timescales. We would like to stress the importance of including the correct drivers of open water evaporation in the parametrization in hydrological models in order to adequately represent the role of evaporation in the surface–atmosphere coupling of inland waterbodies.

Digital holographic study of corona wind-assisted evaporation of hydrocarbon from a microliter well

The present study aims to understand the evaporation dynamics of heavy hydrocarbon liquid (cyclohexane) from a circular well cavity under the influence of corona wind. The study explores the effect of corona wind on the modification of vapor phase transport and the evaporation rate from the circular well. Particle image velocimetry is used to characterize the velocity field of the corona wind generated by a needle and plate configuration. Digital holography interferometry is used to decipher the mole fraction distribution of the vapor cloud. Circular well cavities of radius 2.0, 2.5, and 4 mm are studied. The effect of corona wind on the evaporation of different sized well cavities increases with an increase in actuation voltage. The side wall of the cavities influences the distribution of the vapor cloud due to the interaction with the incoming corona wind. More than ten times enhancement of evaporation is observed at 10 kV excitation voltage setting of the corona wind generator. The corona jet-assisted evaporation can be very useful in thin-film evaporative cooling due to its simplicity in design and superior performance.

Neural network-based model predictive control for thin-film chemical deposition of quantum dots using data from a multiscale simulation

Recently, thin-film deposition of quantum dot (QDs) to manufacture solar cells and displays have received significant attention due to the lucrative optoelectronic properties of these devices. Unfortunately, (a) the existing macroscopic thin-film deposition models in the literature do not consider the surface-level interactions; (b) the detailed surface-level models do not consider the entire thin-film deposition ensemble; and (c) multiscale modeling studies considering both the scales are not tailored for QD systems. Thus, to address this knowledge gap, in this work, a multiscale thin-film deposition model is developed. First, the droplet distribution and evaporation dynamics during the thin-film deposition of QDs are described using heat and mass balance equations. Second, a microscopic discrete-element method (DEM)-based particle aggregation model that describes the surface-level particle interactions is developed and combined with the macroscopic dynamics. Furthermore, a model predictive controller (MPC) is designed to regulate the film thickness and minimize the film roughness by manipulating key process variables. To design a feasible MPC, a computationally efficient artificial neural network (ANN) model of the thin-film deposition model is constructed, and it is incorporated within the MPC. The closed-loop simulation results showcase the capability of the MPC to achieve the required film thickness and minimize the roughness.

Replica wormholes and holographic entanglement negativity

Recent work has shown how to understand the Page curve of an evaporating black hole from replica wormholes. However, more detailed information about the structure of its quantum state is needed to fully understand the dynamics of black hole evaporation. Here we study entanglement negativity, an important measure of quantum entanglement in mixed states, in a couple of toy models of evaporating black holes. We find four phases dominated by different types of geometries: the disconnected, cyclically connected, anti-cyclically connected, and pairwise connected geometries. The last of these geometries are new replica wormholes that break the replica symmetry spontaneously. We also analyze the transitions between these four phases by summing more generic replica geometries using a Schwinger-Dyson equation. In particular, we find enhanced corrections to various negativity measures near the transition between the cyclic and pairwise phase.

Two-dimensional kinetic evaporation by direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) with independently controlled downstream boundary conditions

Kinetic evaporation of liquids in a two-dimensional geometry is investigated in this paper by direct simulation Monte Carlo and theoretical analysis. Based on simulations, information such as the spatial distribution of macroscopic vapor properties, the net evaporation mass flux and the molecular velocity distribution functions were obtained. Particularly, the possibility of applying independent downstream vapor pressure and temperature was demonstrated in the two-dimensional configuration. It was found that with the increase of the domain size, the evaporation mass flux approached constant and more importantly, the downstream vapor had a uniform pressure distribution. The downstream vapor was in equilibrium according to the velocity distribution function; its thermodynamic state could be arbitrarily altered. A semi-empirical model was developed for the two-dimensional evaporation; the model followed the conservation law as in the moment method and simultaneously allowed independent inputs of P and T of vapor by introducing one more unknown variable. The model could predict the asymptotic variation trend of relevant quantities with the domain size. Moreover, the simulation data of net evaporation mass flux at different combinations of vapor P and T were captured by the proposed model with good accuracy. The present work is a preliminary attempt to discuss the independent control of downstream vapor properties in kinetic evaporations, based on the two-dimensional geometry.

Evaporation driven smart patterning of microparticles on a rigid-soft composite substrate

A liquid droplet on a rigid polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate exhibits a higher receding contact angle (θr), therefore, recedes earlier than its softer counterpart. The three-phase contact line of a suspension droplet on a composite rigid-soft PDMS substrate can be selectively tuned wherein the contact line recedes on the rigid substrate sooner and approaches toward the softer side, with microparticles eventually being deposited in the softer substrate region. A composite PDMS substrate containing soft cores of various shapes (circular and non-circular) surrounded by rigid matrices was fabricated by employing 3D printing and soft lithography. A sessile suspension droplet containing spherical microparticles was deposited on the composite substrate and evaporated under ambient conditions. The evaporation dynamics was recorded and analyzed. Evaporation-induced patterning (in circular, triangular, and rectangular areas) with sizes ranging from microns to millimetres were obtained. For the first time, by varying the ratio of the rigid-soft regions in the PDMS substrate, we were able to obtain different deposition sizes and shapes from an identical droplet. Instead of using lithographically patterned substrate, our simple methodology by using 3D printing and soft lithography opened up a new avenue for patterning microparticles based on a rigid-soft composite substrate.