The flow and adhesion behavior of fine powders (approx. less than 10 microm) is significantly affected by the magnitude of attractive interparticle forces. Hence, the relative humidity and magnitude of capillary forces are critical parameters in the processing of these materials. In this investigation, approximate theoretical formulae are developed to predict the magnitude and onset of capillar...

Capillary-driven micro flow allows liquid transport by interfacial force without external pressure or momentum. Theoretical and experimental studies have been conducted to predict the movement of the flow meniscus in the application of capillary underfill flows. In a flip chip package, two-dimensional motions of flow front through solder bumps can result in unwanted air void formation because t...

The adhesion force due to capillary interaction between two hydrophilic surfaces is strongly dependent on the partial pressure of water and is often calculated using the Kelvin equation. The validity of the Kelvin equation is questionable at low relative humidity (RH) of water, like in high vacuum and dry nitrogen environments, where water is only present as layers of several molecules thick at...

The gas/fluid flowing behavior and fluid distribution under capillary forces in porous media are essential for evaluating the pore-fracture characteristics of coal. Capillary force is crucial flow-back efficiency after hydraulic fracturing during enhanced coalbed methane (CBM) production. In this work, situ dynamic X-ray micro-computed tomography (X-ray ?-CT), field emission scanning electron m...

Capillary bridges can be used for fabricating new materials and structures. Here, we describe theoretically and validate experimentally the mechanism of formation of capillary bridges during a process in which a beaded chain is being pulled out from a liquid with a planar surface. There are two types of capillary bridges present in this system, namely the sphere-planar liquid surface bridge ini...

Focal cerebral ischaemia and post-ischaemic reperfusion cause cerebral capillary dysfunction, resulting in oedema formation and haemorrhagic conversion. There are substantial gaps in understanding the pathophysiology, especially regarding early molecular participants. Here, we review physiological and molecular mechanisms involved. We reaffirm the central role of Starling's principle, which sta...

We present a simple cell docking method induced by receding meniscus to capture non-adherent yeast cells onto microwells inside a microfluidic channel. Microwells were fabricated either by capillary moulding of UV curable polyurethane acrylate (PUA) onto glass substrate or direct replica moulding of poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS). A cell suspension of the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae...

An innovative vacuum capillary pneumatic actuation concept that can be used for point-of-care testing has been investigated. The vacuum glass capillaries are encapsulated within a laminated pouch and incorporated into the fluidic card. Vacuum glass capillaries broken by external force such as finger pressure, generate the pneumatic forces to induce liquid flow in the fluidic system. The sizes o...

Cyclic mechanical strain produced by pulsatile blood flow regulates the orientation of endothelial cells lining blood vessels and influences critical processes such as angiogenesis. Mechanical stimulation of stretch-activated calcium channels is known to mediate this reorientation response; however, the molecular basis remains unknown. Here, we show that cyclically stretching capillary endothel...