| Abstract: | This study investigates the capillary performance and wetting behavior of SLA (Stereolithography)
3D-printed porous structures, focusing on TPMS (triply periodic minimal surfaces)-Gyroid, Octet, Diamond, and Isotruss lattice designs. High-speed imaging was
used to analyze droplet interactions, including penetration, spreading, and contact angles,
with 16 μL water droplets dropping from 30 mm at 0.77 m/s. Results showed variable contact angles, with Isotruss and Octet having higher angles, while Diamond faced measurement challenges due to surface roughness. Numerical simulations of TPMS-Gyroid of 2 mm3 unit cells validated the experimental results, and Diamond, Octet, and Isotruss structures
were simulated. Capillary performance was assessed through deionized (DI) water weight–time (w-t) measurements, identifying that the TPMS-Gyroid structure performed adequately. Structures with 4 mm3 unit cells had low capillary performance, excluding them from permeability testing, whereas smaller 2 mm3 structures demonstrated capillary
effects but had printability and cleaning issues. Permeability results indicated that Octet
performed best, followed by Isotruss, Diamond, and TPMS-Gyroid. Findings emphasize unit cell size, beam thickness, and droplet positioning as key factors in optimizing fluid dynamics for cooling, filtration, and fluid management. |
