Modification of the degree of liquid contact with a solid by control of surface and micro-channel capillary geometry

摘要

A method of modifying the apparent wettability (the area contacted by a liquid) of solids with liquids by controlling the surface geometry or the capillary geometry. This modification is possible by understanding the geometric relationship between the contact angle and the included angle of surface features. This same geometric relationship can be used to control entrance of a liquid into a capillary and the flow of more than one fluid in distinct streams through a capillary device.