Dual-bionic superwetting gears with liquid directional steering for oil-water separation

Zhuoxing Liu, Zidong Zhan, Tao Shen, Ning Li, Chengqi Zhang, Cunlong Yu, Chuxin Li, Yifan Si (), Lei Jiang and Zhichao Dong ()
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Zhuoxing Liu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zidong Zhan: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Tao Shen: Beihang University
Ning Li: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chengqi Zhang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Cunlong Yu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chuxin Li: Suzhou Institute for Advanced Research, University of Science and Technology of China
Yifan Si: City University of Hong Kong
Lei Jiang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhichao Dong: Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Developing an effective and sustainable method for separating and purifying oily wastewater is a significant challenge. Conventional separation membrane and sponge systems are limited in their long-term usage due to weak antifouling abilities and poor processing capacity for systems with multiple oils. In this study, we present a dual-bionic superwetting gears overflow system with liquid steering abilities, which enables the separation of oil-in-water emulsions into pure phases. This is achieved through the synergistic effect of surface superwettability and complementary topological structures. By applying the surface energy matching principle, water and oil in the mixture rapidly and continuously spread on preferential gear surfaces, forming distinct liquid films that repel each other. The topological structures of the gears facilitate the overflow and rapid transfer of the liquid films, resulting in a high separation flux with the assistance of rotational motion. Importantly, this separation model mitigates the decrease in separation flux caused by fouling and maintains a consistently high separation efficiency for multiple oils with varying densities and surface tensions.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39851-1

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