Vessels resist bubble formation: trees

Xylem vessels running up tree trunks prevent gas bubble formation because all surfaces are hydrophilic.

Biomimicry Taxonomy

	Maintain physical integrity >
	Protect from abiotic factors >
	Gases

Biomimetic Application Ideas

Creating specific hydrophobic sites in manufacturing process to create novel bubble based materials.

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[Collapse all sections] Summary

"The water columns in the xylem vessels running up the trunk of a tree provide a dramatic example of what's possible when all surfaces are hydrophilic. With megapascals of negative pressures virtually any dissolved gas ensures supersaturation, yet bubbles rarely form. It's a good thing, too- a tiny bubble would rupture a water column since any bubble is itself an appropriate surface for gas formation; and, once formed, bubbles grow almost explosively in a supersaturated liquid." (Vogel 2003:111)

About the inspiring organism

Plantae
Plantae

Organism/taxonomy data provided by:
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2008 Annual Checklist

Bioinspired products and application ideas

Application Ideas: Creating specific hydrophobic sites in manufacturing process to create novel bubble based materials.

Industrial Sector(s) interested in this strategy: Chemistry, manufacturing

References

Steven Vogel. 2003. Comparative Biomechanics: Life's Physical World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 580 p.

Vessels resist bubble formation: trees

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