Apparatus and method for measuring the energy barrier at the surface solid-liquid interface of microstructures.

The device and method measure the energy barrier at the solid-liquid interface of microstructures by quantifying drag forces and deformations, addressing the limitations of conventional methods and providing insights for surface optimization.

JP7893540B1Active Publication Date: 2026-07-22HANGZHOU DIANZI UNIV
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
HANGZHOU DIANZI UNIV
Filing Date
2026-04-01
Publication Date
2026-07-22

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing methods fail to accurately measure the energy barrier at the solid-liquid interface of microstructured surfaces, which is crucial for understanding and optimizing the wettability and lubrication properties of engineered surfaces.

Method used

A device and method using a micro-pump, fixed elbow, capillary tube, and high-speed microscope camera to measure the deflection and deformation of a droplet as it slides across a microstructured surface, allowing direct quantification of the energy barrier by integrating drag force-displacement curves.

Benefits of technology

Provides accurate, reliable, and consistent measurement of the energy barrier per unit area, enabling deeper understanding of the microscopic mechanism of dynamic sliding and optimizing surface design for specific wetting performance.

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Abstract

This invention relates to the technical field of surface lubrication and friction measurement of machinery, and provides an apparatus and method for measuring the energy barrier at the surface solid-liquid interface of a microstructure. [Solution] The apparatus includes a micro-pump, a fixed elbow, a capillary tube, an upper contact surface, a lower contact surface, a droplet, a micro-movement stage, and a high-speed microscope camera. In this method, the micro-pump transports liquid to form a droplet between the upper and lower contact surfaces, the micro-movement stage is used to drag the lower contact surface at a constant speed to slide the droplet, and the high-speed camera monitors the deflection deformation caused by the droplet drag force of the capillary tube, calculates the dynamic drag force, and integrates the drag force-displacement curve to obtain the energy consumed by the droplet to overcome the microstructure. Finally, the solid-liquid interface energy barrier per unit area is obtained, overcoming the limitations of the conventional contact angle method, which cannot measure the dynamic interface energy barrier, and enabling direct and quantitative measurement of the surface solid-liquid interface energy of the microstructure.
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