title: Self-Propelled Droplet Removal from Hydrophobic Fiber-Based Coalescers.
abstract: Fiber-based coalescers are widely used to accumulate droplets from aerosols and emulsions, where the accumulated droplets are typically removed by gravity or shear. This Letter reports self-propelled removal of drops from a hydrophobic fiber, where the surface energy released upon drop coalescence overcomes the drop-fiber adhesion, producing spontaneous departure that would not occur on a flat substrate of the same contact angle. The self-removal takes place above a threshold drop-to-fiber radius ratio, and the departure speed is close to the capillary-inertial velocity at large radius ratios.
authors: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.
authors: Kungang
authors: K
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.
authors: Fangjie
authors: F
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.
authors: Adam J
authors: AJ
authors: Williams
authors: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.
authors: Xiaopeng
authors: X
authors: Qu
authors: Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z2.|Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z3.
authors: James J
authors: JJ
authors: Feng
authors: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.
authors: Chuan-Hua
authors: CH
authors: Chen