Novel method to characterize superhydrophobic coatings.

Superhydrophobic coatings possess a strong water-repellent characteristic, which, among several other potential applications, enhances the mobility of water droplets over the surface. The coating traps air within its micropores, such that a submerged moving body experiences shear-free and no-slip regions over, respectively, the air pockets and the solid surface. This, in turn, may lead to significant skin-friction reduction.

Influence of flow on longevity of superhydrophobic coatings.

Previous studies have demonstrated the capability of superhydrophobic surfaces to produce slip flow and drag reduction, which properties hold considerable promise for a broad range of applications. However, in order to implement such surfaces for practical utilizations, environmental factors such as water movement over the surface must be observed and understood. In this work, experiments were carried out to present a proof-of-concept study on the impact of flow on longevity of polystyrene fibrous coatings.

In situ, noninvasive characterization of superhydrophobic coatings.

Light scattering was used to measure the time-dependent loss of air entrapped within a submerged microporous hydrophobic surface subjected to different environmental conditions. The loss of trapped air resulted in a measurable decrease in surface reflectivity and the kinetics of the process was determined in real time and compared to surface properties, such as porosity and morphology. The light-scattering results were compared with measurements of skin-friction drag, static contact angle, and contact-angle hysteresis.