It goes without saying that water scarcity is a widespread and increasingly pressing global challenge. One of the methods which can mitigate water shortage is to increase freshwater production via desalination of saline waters. Seawater and saline aquifer sources represent 97.5% of all water on Earth. Hence, treating even a small portion of saline water could significantly reduce water shortage. Although reverse osmosis is one of the state-of-the-art pressure-driven membrane desalination technologies, it is incapable of desalinating high-salinity streams due to the very high osmotic pressure to overcome. Membrane distillation (MD) is one of the emerging methods, which has attracted much attention for desalinating highly saline brines. MD is a thermally driven process in which only vapor molecules pass through the pores of a microporous hydrophobic membrane. This process, however, has not been fully commercialized due to a number of challenges, including “pore wetting”. Pore wetting refers to the presence of liquid, instead of just water vapor, inside the membrane pores, which may cause a decrease in MD flux and/or deterioration of distillate quality. Herein, a comprehensive review on pore wetting is presented, and then this phenomenon is investigated from four aspects. In the first phase of this project, a theoretical model is presented according to which the pore size distribution of membrane, a parameter affecting pore wetting risk, is estimated by employing only a few experimental data points in accordance with the wet/dry method, reducing the number of data required to be recorded largely. In the next phase, an equation is presented for the estimation of liquid entry pressure (LEP), a membrane parameter closely related to pore wetting, using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools and genetic programming (GP) as an intelligent technique. This equation can estimate LEP in closer agreement to experimental values in comparison to the Young-Laplace equation. In the third phase, movement of liquid-gas interface inside the membrane pore is tracked using a well-founded model, and consequently, the pressure and velocity at the interface and the required time for replacement are studied. Finally, in the last phase, a model is developed for pore wetting in vacuum MD, considering heat and mass balances at the vapor-liquid interface. This model assumes that heat only enters the pore inlet and is removed due to liquid vaporization at the vapor-liquid interface, with heat transfer through the pore wall neglected. This model shows that partial pore wetting is possible since the vapor-liquid interface might remain within the pore at the steady-state condition. Further, this model can predict the decrease in temperature from the pore inlet to the vapor-liquid interface, a phenomenon that has been reported in the literature without any proof.

The cyclic wetting and drying of a rock is considered to be one of a number of physical weathering processes that have an effect on the weathering of rock. While the presence of moisture is known to be of critical importance for the activation and enhancement of a number of other known weathering processes, such as cryogenic weathering, salt weathering and slaking it is possible that the mere cyclic application and removal of moisture over time may also have an effect on the physical structure of a rock. The precise nature of the process is not well understood, however. This document begins by investigating the studies that have previously been undertaken to determine how the wetting and drying weathering process is defined and to ascertain the current state of knowledge regarding this process. After an establishment of background context, a physical experiment is carried out on Clarens Formation sandstone and Marion Island basalt to note the relationship between cyclic wetting and drying and the changing physical properties of the rocks. The rocks were subjected to 105 wetting and drying cycles over a period of 21 weeks. At the beginning of the experiment, physical rock properties were measured by way of the method laid out by Cooke (1979) and again at the end of the experiment. Since the experiment was carried out under static environmental conditions, the comparison of physical rock properties gives a good indication of how the rocks have altered their structure over the experimental time period. The results obtained in this experiment show that different rock types will change in different ways when exposed to a common weathering process. The basalt samples experienced no mass loss at, while the sandstones did. The sandstones, which are rocks that are of common lithology and of very similar physical and chemical structure reacted to the wetting and drying weathering process in ways that could not be predicted without experimentation. The data does show a clear causal link between the application of external stimuli and rock property change, however. Changes in physical rock properties are not always straightforward and linear, but evolve dynamically over time, often yielding results that appear to oppose those intuitively predicted. A number of questions are asked regarding the philosophical approach that is taken to process isolation studies, with emphasis given to the careful consideration of the place that such studies have in the realm of process geomorphology. While process isolation studies may give an excellent indication of what a particular weathering process may be capable of under certain conditions and on certain rock types, they should not be regarded as indicative of what is occurring in the field. Additionally, it has become clear that it is not possible to predict how a specific rock type may respond to a specific weathering process without physical experimentation since the number of variables present in a typical weathering system are simply too vast to easily categorise. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology / MSc / Unrestricted

Wetting of a substance has been widely investigated since it has many applications to many different fields. Wetting principles can be applied to better select cleans for front end of line (FEOL) and back end of line (BEOL) cleaning processes. These principles can also be used to help determine processes that best repel water from a semiconductor device. It is known that the value of the dielectric constant in an insulator increases when water is absorbed. These contact angle experiments will determine which processes can eliminate water absorption. Wetting is measured by the contact angle between a solid and a liquid. It is known that roughness plays a crucial role on the wetting of a substance. Different surface groups also affect the wetting of a surface. In this work, it was investigated how wetting was affected by different solid surfaces with different chemistries and different roughness. Four different materials were used: silicon; thermally grown silicon dioxide on silicon; chemically vapor deposited (CVD) silicon dioxide on silicon made from tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS); and organosilicate glass (OSG) on silicon. The contact angle of each of the samples was measured using a goniometer. The roughness of the samples was measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The chemistry of each of the samples were characterized by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and grazing angle total attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR/GATR). Also, the contact angle was measured at the micro scale by using an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM).

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The earliest man-made irrigation systems in recorded history date back to the ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia era. After thousands of years of experience, exploration, and experimenting, mankind have learned how to construct canals and dams and use pipes and pumps to direct and control water flow, but till this day, there are still some behaviors of water and other simple fluids that surprise us. One such example is the lotus effect: a surface-tension effect which allows raindrops to roll freely on a lotus leaf as if they were drops of mercury. One of the key factors that determine how a fluid system behave is the size-scale. Fluids flow at small scales very differently than they do at large scales. The standard comparing to which small and large are defined is the capillary length. A number of surface-tension related phenomena are unfamiliar because they are only noticeable at length-scales of a few millimeters or below, and they look nothing like what we would expect fluids to behave when dominated by gravity. As fascinating as many of them may seem at first glance, surface-tension phenomena are actually not that far away from our daily lives. Surface tension is everywhere because it costs energy to create areas of surfaces and interfaces, just like it costs energy to deform a solid (resulting in elasticity) or to elevate a weight (resulting in gravity). To minimize energy, a surface or an interface has the tendency to contract, and this tendency generates surface tension. The size of a system significantly affects the relative strengths of surface-tension effects comparing to effects of body forces, most commonly gravity. By equating the estimated magnitudes of surface tension and gravitational forces of a system, a length scale, know as the capillary length, can be defined. The capillary length of water on earth is about 2.7 mm. At the length scale of everyday objects, which is usually above the capillary length, surface-tension effects are not always prominent, because at those scales the competing force, gravity, is often much stronger. That is why the surface of a glass of water is more or less flat. However, as the size-scale decreases, surface tension decreases a lot slower than gravity, so when the size of a fluid system gets down to below the capillary length, surface tension takes over. One of the defining characteristics of this moment in human history, is the tremendous efforts we are putting into the research and engineering of micro- and nano-scale materials and structures − systems where surface tension is often the predominant force. It is important to study surface-tension effects so that we can use them to our advantage. In this Ph.D. dissertation, we have investigated some important surface-tension phenomena including capillarity, wetting, and wicking. We mainly focus on the geometric aspects of these problems, and to learn about how structures affect properties. Understanding these phenomena can help develop fabrication methods (Chapter 2), study surface properties (Chapter 3), and design useful devices (Chapter 4) at scales below the capillary length. In the first project (Chapter 2), we used numerical simulations and experiments to study the meniscus of a fluid confined in capillaries with complicated cross-sectional geometries. In the simulations, we computed the three-dimensional shapes of the menisci formed in polygonal and star-shaped capillaries with sharp or rounded corners. Height variations across the menisci were used to quantify the effect of surface tension. Analytical solutions were derived for all the cases where the cross-sectional geometry was a regular polygon or a regular star-shape. Power indices that characterize the effects of corner rounding were extracted from simulation results. These findings can serve as guide for fabrications of unconventional three-dimensional structures in Capillary Force Lithography experiments [J. Feng (2011) (a)]. Experimental demonstrations of the working principle was also performed. Although quantitative matching between simulation and experimental results was not achieved due to the limitation of material properties, clear qualitative trends were observed and interesting three-dimensional nano-structures were produced. A second project (Chapter 3) focused on developing techniques to produce three-dimensional hierarchically structured superhydrophobic surfaces with high aspect ratios. We experimented with two different high-throughput electron-beam-lithography processes featuring single and dual electron-beam exposures. After a surface modification procedure with a hydrophobic silane, the structured surfaces exhibited two distinct superhydrophobic behaviors − high and low adhesion. While both types of superhydrophobic surfaces exhibited very high (approximately 160_) water advancing contact angles, the water receding contact angles on these two different types of surfaces differed by about 50_ _ 60_, with the low-adhesion surfaces at about 120_ _ 130_ and the high-adhesion surfaces at about 70_ _ 80_. Characterizations of both the microscopic structures and macroscopic wetting properties of these product surfaces allowed us to pinpoint the structural features responsible for specific wetting properties. It is found that the advancing contact angle was mainly determined by the primary structures while the receding contact angle is largely affected by the side-wall slope of the secondary features. This study established a platform for further exploration of the structure aspects of surface wettability [J. Feng (2011) (b)]. In the third and final project (Chapter 4), we demonstrated a new type of microfluidic channel that enable asymmetric wicking of wetting fluids based on structure-induced direction-dependent surface-tension effect. By decorating the side-walls of open microfluidic channels with tilted fins, we were able to experimentally demonstrate preferential wicking behaviors of various IPA-water mixtures with a range of contact angles in these channels. A simplified 2D model was established to explain the wicking asymmetry, and a complete 3D model was developed to provide more accurate quantitative predictions. The design principles developed in this study provide an additional scheme for controlling the spreading of fluids [J. Feng (2012)]. The research presented in this dissertation spreads out across a wide range of physical phenomena (wicking, wetting, and capillarity), and involves a number of computational and experimental techniques, yet all of these projects are intrinsically united under a common theme: we want to better understand how simple fluids respond to small-scale complex surface structures as manifestations of surface-tension effects. We hope our findings can serve as building blocks for a larger scale endeavor of scientific research and engineering development. After all, the pursue of knowledge is most meaningful if the results improve the well-being of the society and the advancement of humanity.

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Water is a basic necessity for turfgrass growth and metabolic processes, with optimal levels required for the maintenance of turf quality and function. As water restrictions for irrigation of landscapes become more widespread across the United States, turfgrass managers will need to rely on management strategies to improve the performance of turfgrasses under reduced irrigation environments. Therefore, the objectives of the research were to (i) compare the performance of different Agrostis species and cultivars under reduced irrigation, (ii) evaluate the use of wetting agents for maintaining turf quality under reduced irrigation, (iii) and examine the physiological mechanisms associated with improved drought resistance traits of Agrostis species. To address our primary objectives, we conducted a two-year field study comparing cultivars of three bentgrass species, including ‘Revere’ and ‘Tiger II’ colonial bentgrasses (Agrostis capillaris), ‘Legendary’ and ‘Greenwich’ velvet bentgrasses (A. canina), and ‘13M’, ‘T-1’, ‘L-93’, and ‘Penncross’ creeping bentgrasses (A. stolonifera) in response to reduced irrigation with and without the use of a wetting agent. In general, the use of a wetting agent did not result in any significant differences in turf quality or soil moisture content among treatments. There were significant differences in turf quality among bentgrass species and cultivars under reduced irrigation. Colonial bentgrass cultivars maintained high turf quality, and were found to be well suited for fairways under reduced irrigation. Due to excessive thatch accumulation in our study, velvet bentgrass cultivars exhibited significant declines in quality regardless of irrigation level. Among creeping bentgrass cultivars, T-1 exhibited improved drought tolerance compared to the older cultivars of creeping bentgrass. Based on results from the field study, we further evaluated the drought resistance and recovery characteristics among five cultivars of colonial bentgrass (‘Barking’, 'Tiger II’, ‘Revere’, ‘Capri’, and ‘Greentime’). Under moderate drought stress, Barking, Tiger II, and Revere all exhibited lower leaf relative water content levels compared to Capri and Greentime, although no significant differences in turf quality or soil water content were observed during the drought period. Following re-watering, Barking and Tiger II exhibited the most rapid recovery from drought (as measured by percent green cover), while Capri and Greentime exhibited delayed recovery. Therefore, although significant differences in turf performance during drought stress were not observed, recovery potential seems to vary among the different cultivars of colonial bentgrass.

The goal of this project was to advance adhesion science and technology related to the Australian hardwood spotted gum (Corymbia citriodora). Plantation-grown spotted gum exhibits poor adhesion properties in comparison with similar woods, such as Gympie messmate (Eucalyptus cloeziana). To better understand adhesion differences between these two woods, this research compared and contrasted the surface chemistries of plantation-grown spotted gum and Gympie messmate with a particular focus on sensitivity to thermal deactivation. Wetting measurements were performed using the sessile drop method. Initial and equilibrium contact angles, time-dependent wetting, and surface energy were determined. Time-dependent wetting and equilibrium contact angles were most informative. Initial contact angles and surface energy calculated with them were misleading and often generated anomalous results. Heating water-saturated wood to mild surface temperatures (105 deg C, directly after evaporative cooling) severely deactivated spotted gum but not Gympie messmate. This suggests conventional kiln drying appears unsuitable for spotted gum while amenable for Gympie messmate. Spotted gum likely requires non-aqueous, low surface tension adhesives or aqueous adhesives formulated with surface active wetting agents. Water-saturation (followed by room-temperature vacuum drying) substantially altered the surface chemistries of both woods, making them more hydrophilic. Consequently, the question was raised of whether a water-spray onto the wood surface prior to adhesive application could improve bonding. If so, this simple, industrially-feasible treatment could prove very beneficial to the wood composites industry. Water-saturation also revealed differences in the two wood's water permeability, which has implications for adhesive penetration and wood drying and may additionally help explain adhesion differences. Analysis of the plantation-grown heartwood (inner, middle, and outer heartwood regions) revealed significant wetting differences on spotted gum with only minor differences on Gympie messmate. The Australian woods were compared to two North American woods-loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). Examining water wetting measurements, the Australian and North American woods exhibited some interesting similarities. However, methylene iodide wetting measurements revealed that the Australian woods were quite different from the North American samples studied here. / Master of Science