Carbonated Water Droplet Can Ease Dust Mitigation from Hydrophobic Surfaces

• Published in: Langmuir 2020-09, Vol.36 (35), p.10504-10518
• Main Authors: Abubakar, Abba A, Yilbas, Bekir S, Al-Qahtani, Hussain, Hassan, Ghassan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0743-7463; 1520-5827
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c01702

Carbonated water droplets can ease the difficulties faced by distilled water droplets mitigating dust particles from hydrophobic surfaces. Rising of CO2 bubbles in carbonated water droplets and their interaction with the flow structure, created by Marangoni and buoyancy possessions, in droplets are investigated. Spreading and infusion (cloaking) of carbonated water on dust surfaces are analyzed, and the rate at which bubbles formed inside the carbonated water droplet, as placed on a dusty hydrophobic surface, is examined. Flow structures formed inside the carbonated water droplet are simulated, and findings are compared to those corresponding to the distilled water droplet. Dust mitigation from the hydrophobic surface toward droplet liquid inside is evaluated using the high-speed recording system, and the results are compared with those of predictions. It is found that carbonated water spreads and infuses onto dust particles at a higher rate than that at which distilled water does. The rising bubble generates wake-like flow in the fluid while modifying the flow structure inside the droplet; hence, the number of circulating structures increases from two to four in droplet fluid. The dust particles picked up by flow currents are redistributed over the entire carbonated water droplet, while mitigated dust particles remain in the lower region of the distilled water droplet. Bubbles formed inside the carbonated water droplet improve dust lifting and rate of dust mitigation from the surface.