A study on the flow characteristics of copper heavy metal microfluidics with hydrophobic coating and ph change

Abstract

The present study purpose was to identify the flow characteristics of the drainage filter considering the characteristics of the landfill site, and to study the basic technology for efficient remediation of heavy metals. To this end, copper heavy metal was selected in consideration of landfill characteristics, and a study on flow characteristics was conducted using hydrophobic coated capillary tubes and microparticles. It was confirmed that the flow rate decreased as the pH increased at the hydrophobic surface, and pH 4, 6, and 8 flowed similarly in the center of the capillary tube, but decreased at pH 10. In the bottom part, it moved at the slowest speed of 1~4 µm/s and middle of center moved 17~25 µm/s. There was little change in flow in the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) numerical analysis considering the surface contact angle, which is a hydrophobic characteristic, and the velocity coefficient was presented by regression analysis through the experimental results. In this way, the current study will be a basic examination of the selective remediation process of pH on hydrophobic coated surfaces. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.