Experiments and Engineering Models of Microparticle Impact and Deposition

Abstract

This article summarizes, reviews and consolidates some of the research work done by the authors over recent years. It covers a wide variety of topics related to the experimental and analytical investigations of the impact of microparticles with flat surfaces in the presence of adhesion and frictional forces. Over 180 experiments were conducted under vacuum conditions to study the effects of particle size, shape, incident translational and rotational velocities, and substrate surface roughness on the oblique impact response of the particle. Analytical models of the impact process were developed, including an algebraic, rigid-body model and a numerical simulation that can be used to predict rebound and capture conditions and to model the forces and displacements that occur during the contact duration. These models were validated using experimental results. Overall, the article covers impact conditions ranging from the more idealized case of a microsphere impacting a molecularly-smooth surface to the more realistic and complex situation of a biological microparticle impacting a typical indoor-room surface.

Key Words:

• Microparticles
• Adhesion
• Contact forces
• Contact deformation
• Capture
• Impact models