Study on the Hydrophobic Property of Shark-Skin-Inspired Micro-Riblets

This paper aims to characterize the hydrophobic property of shark-skin-inspired riblets with potential engineering appli- cations. Based on the hydrophobic theory, a new hydrophobic model which is consistent with the special structure of shark-skin-inspired micro-riblets was proposed. Then, the contact angles of different droplets were measured by optical contact angle measuring device on the shark-skin-inspired micro-riblets and the smooth surface, respectively. The results show that the surface of micro-riblets possesses obvious hydrophobicity, and the actual contact angles of different droplets residing on the riblets decrease with the increase in the droplet volume. According to the new hydrophobic model and the measurement of contact angle, it was found that the arrangement and structure of the shark-skin-inspired micro-riblets significantly affect the surface hydrophobic property. Using the new hydrophobic model, the prediction error of contact angle can be less than 3% compared with the measured one. The research on hydrophobic property of biomimetic micro-riblets is proved to be necessary and important to well explain drag reduction and microbe-resistant property of micro-riblets.

One-step synthesis of hydrophobic magnesium hydroxide nanoparticles and their application in flame-retardant polypropylene composites

Hydrophobic magnesium hydroxide(MH) nanoparticles were prepared by a one-step synthesis method in a high-gravity environment generated by a novel impinging stream–rotating packed bed(IS-RPB) reactor. The reactant solutions were simultaneously and continuously pumped into the IS-RPB reactor, and then Tween80 was added as a surface modifier. The morphology, structure, and properties of blank and hydrophobic MH were characterized. The effects of MH nanoparticles on the flame retardancy, thermal stability, and mechanical properties of PP/MH composites were also studied. We found that the obtained MH nanoparticles exhibited hexagonal lamella with a mean size of 30 nm, excellent hydrophobic properties(e.g., high water contact angle of 112°), and improved thermal stability of MH. The limiting oxygen index(LOI) further showed that increased MH loading can significantly improve flame-retardant performance, which reached 29.3% for PP/MH composites with 30 wt% hydrophobic samples. The thermal stability and mechanical properties of the PP/MH composites with hydrophobic samples were also much higher than those of PP/MH composites with blank MH. Results showed that the one-step synthesis had high potential application in the large-scale production of hydrophobic MH nanoparticles.

Synthesis and application of a hydrophobic hypercrosslinked polymeric resin for removing VOCs from humid gas stream

A hydrophobic hypercrosslinked polymeric resin LC-1 was prepared and characterized. The properties of LC-1 resin were compared with those of a commercial hypercrosstinked polymer NDA-201 resin. In addition, the dynamic adsorption of trichloroethylene （TCE） onto LC-1 under dry and humid conditions at 303 K was investigated, the result shows that LC-1 possesses high hydrophobic property and can remove TCE from gas stream without effect of high humidity efficiently.

Hydrophobic epoxy resin coated proppants with ultra-high self-suspension ability and enhanced liquid conductivity

Proppant is a key material for enhancing unconventional oil and gas production which requires a long distance of migration and efficient liquid conductivity paths within the hydraulic fracture.However,it is difficult to find a proppant with both high self-suspension ability and liquid conductivity.Here,a simple method is developed to coat epoxy resin onto the ceramic proppant and fabricate a novel coated proppant with high hydrophobicity,self-suspension,and liquid conductivity performance.Compared with uncoated ceramic proppants,the epoxy resin coated(ERC) proppant has a high self-suspension ability nearly 16 times that of the uncoated proppants.Besides,the hydrophobic property and the liquid conductivity of the ERC proppant increased by 83.8% and 16.71%,respectively,compared with the uncoated proppants.In summary,this novel ERC proppant provides new insights into the design of functional proppants,which are expected to be applied to oil and gas production.

Preparation and properties of organic-inorganic modified SiO_2 thin films

Polydimethylsiloxane （PDMS）, tetraethoxysilane （TEOS）, ethyl alcohol （EtOH） and deionized water were main raw materials to prepare silicone-modified hybrid thin films using sol-gel method. The effect of the contents of H2O and PDMS on thin films was studied. When the volume ratio of H20 to TEOS is 0.5, the optimum quality of thin films is obtained. And the gelation time is affected slightly by H20 content. Uniform thin films are obtained when the volume ratio of PDMS to TEOS is 0.2. Yet, the sol would be inactive in 6 d. Various properties of thin films were studied, including hardness, adhesive quality, hydrophobic property, corrosion protection property, and abrasion resistance. Test results show that the pencil hardness is generally 3-6 H, and adhesive quality achieves the highest standard of 0. When the sintering temperature is below 400℃, the contact angle is about 95° and hydrophobic films are obtained. The abrasion resistance of thin films is better than that of aluminum alloy when the sintering temperature is higher than 300℃. And the excellent corrosion protective effect is obtained by single-layer coating when the sintering temperature is higher than 400℃.

A hydrophobic artificial solid-interphase-protective layer with fast self-healable capability for stable lithium metal anodes

Lithium(Li)metal has been considered as one of the most promising anodes for high-energy-density batteries.However,the hyperactivity of metallic Li and its dendrite growth are the major hurdles to its practical applications.Herein,a multi-functional solid-interphase-protective layer with excellent waterproof performance and fast self-healing properties was modified on the surface of Li metal to address the above issues.Under the protection of this interface,the metallic Li(denoted as P-Li)exhibited superior electrochemical stability in both Li/Li symmetric cells and full cells.Notably,even after being exposed to humid air for 3 h,the LiFePO_(4)||Li full battery with P-Li anodes still showed long-term stability with a transcendental capacity retention of~100% after 100 cycles,revealing a significant advantage to the non-working LiFePO_(4)||Li battery with air-exposed bare Li anodes.