Maximization Of Surface Area Research Articles

Ultra-hydrophobic aluminum foam development for potential application in continuous water-oil separation processes

Owing to their applicability as a selective barrier, porous materials with modified surfaces have been presented as alternatives for addressing oil spills in water. For this application, surface treatment seeks both maximization of surface area and formation of a low-energy layer. To achieve an effective selective barrier that is useful in the separation of oil-water mixtures, with future application in oil spill cleanup, this work presents aluminum foams treated with sodium hydroxide and immersed in dodecanoic acid to achieve pickling and reduction of surface energy, respectively. Treatment efficiency was evaluated using the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method and contact angle measurements. Results were consistent with other hydrophobic materials. Pore sizes of 425 µm, 850 µm, and 1200 µm were used to evaluate separation of water and oil mixtures under static and dynamic conditions. Oil recovery efficiencies for all pore sizes were greater than 98%.

A comparison of topology optimization and genetic algorithms for the optimization of thermal energy storage composites

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to apply two optimization methods to the issue of sensible energy store design.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is a comparison of topology optimization and genetic algorithms.FindingsGenetic algorithms are prone to converge to local maxima while requiring significantly longer convergence times compared to topology optimization. Topology optimization resulted in structures representing parallel sheets, which are as thin as the grid allows. These configurations can maintain the maximum surface area between the low and high conductivity materials at high refinement, resulting in the best performance.Practical implicationsTime required for 99 per cent store discharge is decreased by 70 per cent using a 50 × 50 optimization grid at a loading of 10 Vol.%.Originality/valueThese approaches have not been compared nor applied to this specific problem before. Value is in the key finding that maximization of surface area is only possible with fins/sheets and not tree structures. This dictates the optimal solution for dynamic behaviour.

Supercritical Processing as a Route to High Internal Surface Areas and Permanent Microporosity in Metal−Organic Framework Materials

Careful processing of four representative metal-organic framework (MOF) materials with liquid and supercritical carbon dioxide (ScD) leads to substantial, or in some cases spectacular (up to 1200%), increases in gas-accessible surface area. Maximization of surface area is key to the optimization of MOFs for many potential applications. Preliminary evidence points to inhibition of mesopore collapse, and therefore micropore accessibility, as the basis for the extraordinarily efficacious outcome of ScD-based activation.