Applicability of the drag coefficient–wettability relationship to alternative LIS architectures

Determine whether the drag coefficient–wettability relationship established for regular micropillar lubricant-infused surfaces applies to connected porous networks and disordered microporous substrates, whose lubricant retention and transport mechanisms may differ significantly.

Background

The paper derives a drag-force correlation for droplets moving on regular micropillar lubricant-infused surfaces. The correlation incorporates surface wettability through an interfacial-tension factor and is validated for the tested range of micropillar geometries and lubrication states.

The authors explicitly limit this conclusion to regular micropillar arrays and note that other lubricant-infused-surface architectures may exhibit substantially different lubricant retention and transport mechanisms. Consequently, the generality of the proposed drag coefficient–wettability relationship for connected porous networks and disordered microporous substrates remains unresolved.