Drag Reduction by Bubble-Covered Surfaces Found in PDMS Microchannel through Depressurization

Langmuir. 2016 May 17;32(19):4815-9. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b01186. Epub 2016 May 4.

Abstract

Drag reduction was found in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannels when the flow was pulled by depressurization at the inlet, and it was attributed to the formation of the bubbles on the PDMS surface. The formed bubbles were examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the resultant effective slip length was measured by microparticle image velocimetry (μPIV). The drag reduction was found to decrease as the bubbles grew and detached from the surface, causing a pulsatile flow in the microchannel.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't