Manufacturable metal-graphene interface for highly efficient and durable condensers
The present disclosure relates to efficient condensing operations and apparatuses. Methods of fabricating condensers and specifically condenser surfaces are also disclosed. A condensing apparatus can include a condenser surface having a substrate and one or more layers of graphene. The substrate can be formed of nickel and a nickel-graphene surface composite layer can be formed. The substrate-graphene composite can be highly durable, hydrophobic, and resistant to fouling. Dropwise condensation can be induced.
1. A condensing apparatus comprising:
a condenser having a coolant side and a condensing side;
a substrate on the coolant side or the condensing side or both, the substrate comprising brass, copper, a copper alloy, nickel, a nickel alloy, or a combination thereof at a surface;
a continuous electroplated layer of pure nickel or nickel alloy having a thickness of from about 1 micrometer to about 100 micrometers on the surface of the substrate;
one or more layers of graphene on a surface of the continuous electroplated layer of pure nickel or nickel alloy; and
a nickel graphene composite interface comprising π-orbitals of the graphene hybridized with d-electrons of nickel of the pure nickel or nickel alloy.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein three or more layers of graphene are on the surface of the substrate.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more layers of graphene are on the condensing side of the condenser providing hydrophobicity.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a thermal expansion mismatch between the substrate and the graphene is less than 18×10 −6 k −1 .
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electroplated layer comprises pure nickel.
6. The condensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more layers of graphene have a grain size greater than about 3 micrometers.
7. A condensing apparatus fabrication method comprising:
electroplating a continuous layer of pure nickel or nickel alloy on a surface of a condensing element, the surface comprising brass, copper, a copper alloy, nickel, a nickel alloy, or a combination thereof, the continuous electroplated layer having a thickness of from about 1 micrometer to about 100 micrometers; and
forming one or more layers of graphene on a surface of the electroplated layer, wherein
upon the formation of the one or more layers of graphene, π-orbitals of the graphene are hybridized with d-electrons of the nickel of the pure nickel or the nickel alloy thus forming a nickel-graphene composite interface.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more layers of graphene is formed according to a process comprising chemical vapor deposition (CVD), thin film physical vapor deposition (PVD), or deposition of hydrogenated amorphous carbon.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein three or more layers of graphene are formed.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the electroplated layer is formed on a coolant side, a condensing side, or both sides of the condensing element.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more layers of graphene is formed according to a process comprising chemical vapor deposition (CVD).
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the condensing element comprises a tube.