International E-publication: Publish Projects, Dissertation, Theses, Books, Souvenir, Conference Proceeding with ISBN.  International E-Bulletin: Information/News regarding: Academics and Research

An acoustic levitator for single droplet evaporation kinetics

Author Affiliations

  • 1Department of Chemistry, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA
  • 2Department of Chemistry, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA
  • 3Department of Chemistry, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA
  • 4Department of Chemistry, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA

Res.J.chem.sci., Volume 10, Issue (2), Pages 32-37, June,18 (2020)

Abstract

Evaporation kinetics of methanol, hexafluoroisopropanol, and polyethylene oxide solutions under microgravity condition were investigated utilizing an acoustic levitator and a fast-frame CCD camera. Two different regimes of evaporation kinetics were measured experimentally for both solvents. Two distinct rate constants were determined in the range of 10-3 s-1, with overall slower decay for methanol. Total evaporation times for microliter volumes of methanol were measured under container-less acoustic levitation and compared with the evaporation times under container processed normal laboratory conditions. Significant differences in the evaporation time and trend were observed. A typical 4 μL sample of methanol evaporation time increased from 5 minutes to 45 minutes, from normal laboratory conditions to levitation. While a linear trend was observed under normal conditions, a logarithmic trend was observed under levitation. These experiments demonstrate difference in air-liquid interface dynamics due to difference in gravity and contact surface. The extended evaporation time under levitation condition can be utilized to perform and monitor reactions in a droplet which may otherwise be limited due to short droplet lifetime. Such extended lifetimes and microgravity conditions can be used in distinct evnironments, such as crystallization and aggregation of proteins and polymers from solutions. The set up described here can be used as a ground-based microgravity simulation device, which can quickly screen the chemical reactions to limit the payload for more expensive experiments at the international space station.

References

  1. Lierke, E. G.(1996)., Acoustic levitation - A comprehensive survey of principles and applications., Acustica, 82(2), 220-237.
  2. Zang, D. Y., et al. (2017)., Acoustic levitation of liquid drops: Dynamics, manipulation and phase transitions., Adv Colloid Interfac, 243, 77-85.
  3. Baensch, E. G., Michael (2018)., Numerical study of droplet evaporation in an acoustic levitator., Phys Fluids, 30(3).
  4. Dangi, B. B., et al. (2015)., Toward the Formation of Carbonaceous Refractory Matter in High Temperature Hydrocarbon-Rich Atmospheres of Exoplanets Upon Micrometeoroid Impact., Astrophys. J., 805(1), 76.
  5. Cao, H. L., et al. (2012)., Rapid crystallization from acoustically levitated droplets., J Acoust Soc Am, 131(4), 3164-3172.
  6. Cristiglio, V., et al. (2017)., Combination of acoustic levitation with small angle scattering techniques and synchrotron radiation circular dichroism. Application to the study of protein solutions., Bba-Gen Subjects, 1861(1), 3693-3699.
  7. Combe, N. A. and Donaldson, D. J. (2017)., Water Evaporation from Acoustically Levitated Aqueous Solution Droplets., The journal of physical chemistry. A, 121(38), 7197-7204.
  8. Mason, N. J., Drage, E. A., Webb, S. M., Dawes, A., McPheat, R., & Hayes, G. (2008)., The spectroscopy and chemical dynamics of microparticles explored using an ultrasonic trap., Faraday discussions, 137, 367-376.
  9. Kobayashi, K. B., Saptarshi (2018)., Flow structure and evaporation behavior of an acoustically levitated droplet., Phys Fluids, 30(8).
  10. Tuckermann, R., et al. (2002)., Evaporation rates of alkanes and alkanols from acoustically levitated drops., Anal Bioanal Chem, 372(1), 122-7.
  11. Chauveau, C., et al.(2011)., An analysis of the d(2)-law departure during droplet evaporation in microgravity., Int J Multiphas Flow, 37(3), 252-259.
  12. Kastner, O., et al.(2001)., The Acoustic Tube Levitator - A Novel Device for Determining the Drying Kinetics of Single Droplets., Chemical Engineering & Technology, 24 (4), 335-339.
  13. Yarin, A. L., Brenn, G., Kastner, O., Rensink, D., & Tropea, C. (1999)., Evaporation of acoustically levitated droplets., Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 399, 151-204.
  14. Delißen, F., Leiterer, J., Bienert, R., Emmerling, F., & Thünemann, A. F. (2008)., Agglomeration of proteins in acoustically levitated droplets., Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry, 392(1-2), 161-165.
  15. Weber, J. K. R., Benmore, C. J., Suthar, K. J., Tamalonis, A. J., Alderman, O. L. G., Sendelbach, S., ... & Byrn, S. R. (2017)., Using containerless methods to develop amorphous pharmaceuticals., Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-General Subjects, 1861(1), 3686-3692.
  16. Keil, N. and Lee, G. (2016)., Use of acoustic levitation to examine the drying behavior of microdroplets of polymer latex dispersions., Colloid Polym Sci , 294(12), 1921-1928.
  17. Hu, S., et al. (2008)., In-Situ Observation of Drying Process of a Latex Droplet by Synchrotron Small-Angle X-ray Scattering., Macromolecules, 41(13), 5073-5076.
  18. Lavasanifar, A., et al. (2002)., Poly (ethylene oxide)-block-poly (L-amino acid) micelles for drug delivery., Advanced drug delivery reviews, 54(2), 169-190.
  19. Jeong, B., et al. (1997)., Biodegradable block copolymers as injectable drug-delivery systems., Nature, 388(6645), 860-862.
  20. Archibong, E., et al. (2016)., Synthesis, characterization, and electrospinning of novel polyaniline-peptide polymers., Appl Mater Today, 4, 78-82.
  21. Wellen, R. M. R., et al. (2015)., Melting and crystallization of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate): effect of heating/cooling rates on phase transformation., Polímeros, 25(3), 296-304.
  22. Song, P., et al. (2017)., Insight into the role of bound water of a nucleating agent in polymer nucleation: a comparative study of anhydrous and monohydrated orotic acid on crystallization of poly(l-lactic acid)., RSC Advances, 7 (44), 27150-27161.
  23. Bansch, E. and Gotz, M.(2018)., Numerical study of droplet evaporation in an acoustic levitator., Phys Fluids, 30(3), 037103.