Quantifying Wicking in Functionlized Surfaces

Authors

Maureen Winter, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Ryan Regan, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Alfred Tsubaki, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Craig Zuhlke, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Dennis Alexander, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
George Gogos, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

Spring 4-14-2020

Document Type

Poster

Citation

Poster presentation, UCARE Research Fair, Spring 2020, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Comments

Copyright 2020 by the authors.

Abstract

Wicking remains the enigmatic key factor in many research areas. From boiling in power plants, to anti-icing on plane wings, to medical instruments, to heat pipes, efficiency and safety depend on how quickly a surface becomes wet. Yet wicking remains difficult to quantify and define as a property of the surface. This experiment strives to measure the wicking property by examining the rate that a liquid can be pulled out of a container. A superhydrophilic surface is placed in contact with the liquid at the bottom of a tube so that the volume flow rate across the surface can be monitored by a camera. By tracking the liquid level in the tube as a function of time, the wicking property of the surface can be quantified. Different tube sizes were compared to ensure that a property of the surface was being accurately measured.