Experimental study of water droplets on over-heated nano/microstructured zirconium surfaces

In this study, we observed the behavior of water droplets near the Leidenfrost point (LFP) on zirconium alloy surfaces with anodizing treatment and investigated the droplet cooling performance. The anodized zirconium surface, which consists of bundles of nanotubes (∼10-100 nm) or micro-mountain-like structures, improved the wetting characteristics of the surface. A deionized water droplet (6 μL) was dropped onto test surfaces heated to temperatures ranging from 250 °C to the LFP. The droplet dynamics were investigated through high-speed visualization, and the cooling performance was discussed in terms of the droplet evaporation time. The modified surface provided vigorous, intensive nucleate boiling in comparison with a clean, bare surface. Additionally, we observed that the structured surface had a delayed LFP due to the high wetting condition induced by strong capillary wicking forces on the structured surface.