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Droplet Spreading and Adhesion on Spherical Surfaces.

Zhanglei Zhu1,2, Youhua Jiang3, Jaroslaw W Drelich1

  • 1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan 49931, United States.

Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
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Surface curvature impacts liquid droplet spreading and adhesion forces on solids, but not contact angles. This study measured these forces on spherical polyethylene terephthalate surfaces, revealing key insights into adhesion mechanics.

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Area of Science:

  • Surface Science
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Liquid droplet adhesion to solids is influenced by wettability and morphology.
  • Direct measurements of adhesion forces, especially on curved surfaces, are scarce in scientific literature.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To measure the spreading and adhesion forces of liquid droplets on spherical solid surfaces.
  • To investigate the effect of surface curvature on these forces.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a high-sensitivity microelectronic mechanical balance for droplet deposition and pulling.
  • Recorded spreading and adhesion forces for water and ethylene glycol on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) spheres (radii 2-8 mm).

Main Results:

  • Surface curvature did not alter advancing or stable contact angles.
  • Surface curvature significantly affected the extent of droplet spreading and maximum adhesion forces.
  • Curvature influenced surface tension and Laplace pressure at the spreading point, and primarily Laplace pressure at maximum adhesion.

Conclusions:

  • Solid surface curvature plays a critical role in modulating liquid droplet adhesion forces and spreading behavior.
  • Understanding these effects is crucial for applications involving liquid-solid interactions on curved substrates.