A slightly stretched stainless steel spring coated with a superhydrophic layer is submerged in water, filled with air, and vented to the atmosphere. Air bubbles contacting the spring are rapidly absorbed (in a few milliseconds). Initial attachment of the bubble to the channel occurs on a roughness element and spreads rapidly (~1 m/s). Bubble collapse is often accompanied by a reentrant jet that can inject water into the channel. These superhydrophobic channels may be useful for phase separation in life support or power systems under the low-gravity conditions of long-duration space missions.
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