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Constitutive modeling of contact angle hysteresis
Srikanth Vedantam1, Mahesh V Panchagnula
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore. srikanth@nus.edu.sg
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
|March 11, 2008
Summary
This study introduces a phase field model for sessile drop wetting, explaining contact angle hysteresis using surface properties. The model accurately predicts wetting behavior on both homogeneous and heterogeneous surfaces.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Materials Science
- Surface Science
Background:
- Wetting phenomena are crucial in various scientific and industrial applications.
- Understanding contact angle hysteresis is essential for predicting liquid behavior on surfaces.
- Existing models often lack a straightforward method for incorporating hysteresis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a phase field model for simulating sessile drop wetting.
- To elucidate the origins of contact line tension and contact angle hysteresis.
- To investigate wetting on heterogeneous surfaces with inherent hysteresis.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a two-dimensional non-conserved phase field variable to represent Gibbs free energy.
- Incorporated gradient terms for surface energy and kinetic coefficients for hysteresis.
- Simulated wetting on smooth homogeneous and heterogeneous surfaces with varying properties.
Main Results:
- Contact line tension and hysteresis are derived from free energy gradients and kinetic coefficients.
- The model successfully simulates hysteresis on smooth surfaces.
- Wetting on heterogeneous surfaces, including those with hysteretic components, was studied.
- Contact angle on heterogeneous surfaces is determined by contact line material properties.
Conclusions:
- The phase field model provides a robust framework for studying sessile drop wetting and hysteresis.
- The model's constitutive specification of hysteresis simplifies parameterization.
- The findings align with recent experimental observations on heterogeneous surface wetting.
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