What is it about?
This paper explores the behavior of fluids (such as water or air) when they come into contact with a solid surface. Typically, we assume that fluids stick to the surface and don't move at the boundary. But in reality, fluids can "slide" slightly along the surface. The authors propose a new model that explains this sliding behavior using adsorption—a process in which fluid molecules temporarily adhere to a surface and then move along it. This model applies to both gases and liquids and helps explain why fluids sometimes move faster near surfaces than older theories predict.
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Why is it important?
Understanding fluid slip is crucial in fields such as microfluidics, where devices are used to manipulate tiny amounts of fluid, such as in medical testing; nanotechnology, where the behavior of fluids at surfaces becomes increasingly important; and engineering and physics, where improved models of fluid flow in pipes, around objects, or through porous materials are needed. This new model provides more accurate predictions, especially at high flow rates, and helps unify our understanding of the behavior of gases and liquids.
Perspectives
Scientific Advance: Provides a unified theory that bridges the gap between gas and liquid slip models. Practical Applications: Could improve the design of biomedical devices, lubrication systems, and chemical reactors. Future Research: Opens the door to studying how surface chemistry and texture influence fluid motion, especially under extreme conditions or at extremely small scales.
Professor Jian-Jun SHU
Nanyang Technological University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A new model for fluid velocity slip on a solid surface, Soft Matter, January 2016, Royal Society of Chemistry,
DOI: 10.1039/c6sm01178k.
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