Fluid handling component with ultraphobic surfaces

A process of making a fluid handling component having an ultraphobic fluid contact surface adapted for repelling a liquid at a pressure of at least one atmosphere in contact with the surface, the process comprising:

• providing a fluid handling component including a substrate having an outer surface;
• and
• forming a multiplicity of substantially uniformly shaped asperities on the outer surface of the substrate, each asperity having a common asperity rise angle relative to the substrate portion, the asperities positioned so that the surface has a contact line density measured in meters of contact line per square meter of surface area equal to or greater than a contact line density value “ΛL” determined according to the formula:
• Λ
• L
• =
• -
• 10
• ⁢
• ,
• ⁢
• 330
• γcos
• ⁡
• (
• θ
• a
• ,
• 0
• +
• ω
• -
• 90
• ⁢
• °
• )
• where γ is the surface tension of the liquid in Newtons per meter, θa,0 is the experimentally measured true advancing contact angle of the liquid on the asperity material in degrees, and ω is the asperity rise angle in degrees.

A process for producing a fluid handling component having a fluid contact surface with ultraphobic properties at liquid pressures up to a predetermined pressure value, the process comprising:

• selecting an asperity rise angle;
• determining a critical contact line density “ΛL” value according to the formula:
• Λ
• L
• =
• -
• P
• γ
• ⁢
• ⁢
• cos
• ⁡
• (
• θ
• a
• ,
• 0
• +
• ω
• -
• 90
• °
• )
• where P is the predetermined pressure value, γ is the surface tension of the liquid, θa,0 is the experimentally measured true advancing contact angle of the liquid on the asperity material in degrees, and ω is the asperity rise angle;
• providing a fluid handling component having a substrate;
• and
• forming a multiplicity of projecting asperities on the substrate so that the surface has an actual contact line density equal to or greater than the critical contact line density.

A fluid handling system comprising:

• at least one fluid handling component including a body with at least one fluid contact surface portion, said fluid contact surface portion including a substrate with a multiplicity of substantially uniformly shaped asperities thereon, each asperity having a common asperity rise angle relative to the substrate, the asperities positioned so that the surface has a contact line density measured in meters of contact line per square meter of surface area equal to or greater than a contact line density value “ΛL” determined according to the formula:
• Λ
• L
• =
• -
• 10
• ⁢
• ,
• ⁢
• 330
• γcos
• ⁡
• (
• θ
• a
• ,
• 0
• +
• ω
• -
• 90
• ⁢
• °
• )
• where γ is the surface tension of a fluid in contact with the surface in Newtons per meter, θa,0 is the experimentally measured true advancing contact angle of the fluid on the asperity material in degrees, and ω is the asperity rise angle in degrees, wherein the surface exhibits a liquid-solid-gas interface with the fluid at a pressure of at least one atmosphere.