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Updated: Nov 29, 2025
07:08
Film Control to Study Contributions of Waves to Droplet Impact Dynamics on Thin Flowing Liquid Films
Published on: August 18, 2018
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Bubble dynamics in thin liquid films and breakup at drop impact
Elizaveta Ya Gatapova1, Kyunney B Gatapova
1Kutateladze Institute of Thermophysics SB RAS, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia. gatapova@itp.nsc.ru.
Soft Matter
|November 20, 2020
Summary
When a liquid drop hits a hot surface, it forms a thin film with microbubbles. These bubbles cause the film to break, leading to dry spots and droplet formation.
Area of Science:
- Fluid dynamics
- Heat transfer
- Surface science
Background:
- Liquid drops impacting heated surfaces below the Leidenfrost temperature spread into thin films.
- Microbubble formation is observed at the liquid-solid interface during this process.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detail bubble dynamics during liquid film formation on a heated surface.
- To elucidate the mechanism of spontaneous liquid film breakup.
Main Methods:
- Experimental observation of liquid drop impact on a heated sapphire surface (130-170 °C).
- Analysis of bubble nucleation, coalescence, and bursting.
- Estimation of liquid film thickness and contact angles.
Main Results:
- Bubble nuclei form at the initial contact, creating a microbubble-laden liquid film.
- Film thickness ranged from 40-80 μm at Weber number (We) 76 and contact angle 76°.
- Bubbles cause film rupture, leading to dry patch propagation and droplet formation.
Conclusions:
- Bubble dynamics, including coalescence and bursting-induced waves, drive irreversible hole formation in the liquid film.
- This process explains spontaneous liquid film breakup on heated surfaces.
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