Measuring the Adhesion Force and the Spreading Radius between Droplets and a Solid Surface during Short-Time...

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Materials Science
• Fluid Dynamics

Background:

• Droplet spreading on solid surfaces is crucial in industrial and natural processes, driven by surface energy minimization.
• Understanding droplet spreading dynamics is essential for optimizing various applications.
• Existing methods may lack the resolution to capture microscale spreading phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel, highly sensitive photoelectric method for quantifying droplet spreading dynamics.
• To measure adhesion force and spreading radius with high spatiotemporal resolution.
• To provide a new experimental technique for multi-perspective analysis of droplet spreading.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a photoelectric method combining an optical lever for adhesion force measurement and an ultrafast electrical method for spreading radius determination.
• Achieved nanonewton force resolution and nanosecond space-time resolution.
• Employed lattice Boltzmann solver for numerical simulation to validate experimental results.

Main Results:

• Successfully quantified adhesion force and spreading radius during microscale droplet spreading.
• Obtained maximum spreading radius and adhesion force during short-time spreading events.
• Experimental observations were confirmed through numerical simulations.

Conclusions:

• The developed photoelectric technique offers a new experimental approach for studying droplet spreading dynamics.
• This method provides deeper insights into microscale droplet behavior and liquid-solid interactions.
• The findings can guide the development of advanced techniques in fluid dynamics and materials science.