EFFECT OF SURFACE MATERIAL ON PARTICLE RE MOVAL USING HIGH-SPEED AIR-JET

The effect of surface material on the removal of particles deposited o n the surface was studied using a high-speed air jet. The particle-rem oval experiments were conducted under various humidities. The removal efficiency for any surface material showed the maximum value at a cert ain relative humidity. It was found that the humidity for maximum effi ciency was dependent on the surface roughness. The optimum humidity wa s well predicted by Kelvin's equation in which the effect of surface r oughness was introduced. The variation of removal efficiencies with su rface materials depended not only on the surface roughness, but also o n the physical/chemical characteristics. The tendency of variation was well explained by a model in which the change in Hamaker's constant c aused by adsorbed water molecules and the surface tension of bridging liquid were taken into consideration with appropriate surface characte ristics. The removal efficiency in the low-humidity region was well pr edicted by the model.