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Title: Influence of surface contamination on the wettability of heat transfer surfaces

Abstract

In this study, the wettability of heat transfer surfaces plays an important role in liquid–vapor phase change phenomena, including boiling incipience, the critical heat flux, the Leidenfrost transition, and condensation. The influence of adsorbed surface contamination at the nanoscale, though seldom considered, can have a profound impact on wetting behavior. This study quantitatively investigates the impact of contaminant layer thickness on wettability. Various cleaning treatments are explored on zirconium and 6061 aluminum to determine the effect on contaminant and oxide layer thickness. Angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy can be used to measure the thickness of oxide and contaminant layers, which is then correlated to wettability by measuring the equilibrium contact angle. Results indicate that even after solvent cleaning, the contact angle of water on practical heat transfer surfaces is dominated by a hydrocarbon contaminant overlayer around five nanometers thick.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2]
  1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
  2. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1184597
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1245283
Report Number(s):
SAND-2014-20008J
Journal ID: ISSN 0017-9310; 547264
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 91; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0017-9310
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; wettability; surface contamination; boiling heat transfer; critical heat flux; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Citation Formats

Forrest, Eric Christopher, Schulze, Roland, Liu, Cheng, and Dombrowski, David. Influence of surface contamination on the wettability of heat transfer surfaces. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2015.07.112.
Forrest, Eric Christopher, Schulze, Roland, Liu, Cheng, & Dombrowski, David. Influence of surface contamination on the wettability of heat transfer surfaces. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2015.07.112
Forrest, Eric Christopher, Schulze, Roland, Liu, Cheng, and Dombrowski, David. 2015. "Influence of surface contamination on the wettability of heat transfer surfaces". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2015.07.112. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1184597.
@article{osti_1184597,
title = {Influence of surface contamination on the wettability of heat transfer surfaces},
author = {Forrest, Eric Christopher and Schulze, Roland and Liu, Cheng and Dombrowski, David},
abstractNote = {In this study, the wettability of heat transfer surfaces plays an important role in liquid–vapor phase change phenomena, including boiling incipience, the critical heat flux, the Leidenfrost transition, and condensation. The influence of adsorbed surface contamination at the nanoscale, though seldom considered, can have a profound impact on wetting behavior. This study quantitatively investigates the impact of contaminant layer thickness on wettability. Various cleaning treatments are explored on zirconium and 6061 aluminum to determine the effect on contaminant and oxide layer thickness. Angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy can be used to measure the thickness of oxide and contaminant layers, which is then correlated to wettability by measuring the equilibrium contact angle. Results indicate that even after solvent cleaning, the contact angle of water on practical heat transfer surfaces is dominated by a hydrocarbon contaminant overlayer around five nanometers thick.},
doi = {10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2015.07.112},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1184597}, journal = {International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer},
issn = {0017-9310},
number = C,
volume = 91,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Aug 08 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Sat Aug 08 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}

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Cited by: 21 works
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Hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials and their applications
journal, September 2018