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Impacts of Free-falling Spheres on a Deep Liquid Pool with Altered Fluid and Impactor Surface Conditions
Published on: February 17, 2019
Comparative surface thermodynamic analysis of new fluid phase formation between a sphere and a flat plate
Leila Zargarzadeh1, Janet A W Elliott
1Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2V4.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|January 31, 2013
Summary
Stable liquid-vapor coexistence in sphere-plate gaps requires a concave meniscus and confinement below a critical distance. Convex menisci prevent stable phase coexistence, impacting capillary condensation and evaporation.
Area of Science:
- Physical Chemistry
- Surface Science
- Thermodynamics
Background:
- Confined fluids exhibit unique phase behavior compared to bulk systems.
- Understanding phase transitions in confined geometries is crucial for various applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate liquid-vapor phase behavior in a sphere-plate gap.
- Determine conditions for stable phase coexistence under confinement.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of free energy curves versus new phase size.
- Application of surface thermodynamics principles.
- Examination of meniscus shape (concave/convex) and equilibrium states.
Main Results:
- Phase behavior categorized by concave and convex meniscus formation.
- Stable liquid-vapor coexistence observed only with concave menisci.
- Confinement distance critical for stable coexistence, dependent on sphere size and contact angle.
Conclusions:
- Stable capillary condensation and evaporation occur only with concave menisci.
- Convex menisci preclude stable liquid-vapor coexistence in this geometry.
- Confinement distance must be less than the Kelvin radius for stable phase coexistence.
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