68 research outputs found
How Topological Rearrangements and Liquid Fraction Control Liquid Foam Stability
International audienceThe stability of foam is investigated experimentally through coalescence events. Instability (coalescence) occurs when the system is submitted to external perturbations (T1) and when the liquid amount in the film network is below a critical value. Microscopically, transient thick films are observed during film rearrangements. Film rupture, with coalescence and eventual collapse of the foam, occurs when the available local liquid amount is too small for transient films to be formed. Similar experiments and results are shown in the two-bubble case
Level-set simulations of a 2D topological rearrangement in a bubble assembly: effects of surfactant properties
International audienceA liquid foam is a dispersion of gas bubbles in a liquid matrix containing surface active agents. Their flow involves the relative motion of bubbles, which switches neighbours during a so-called topological rearrangement of type 1 (T1). The dynamics of T1 events, as well as foam rheology, have been extensively studied, and experimental results point to the key role played by surfactants in these processes. However, the complex and multiscale nature of the system has so far impeded a complete understanding of the mechanisms at stake. In this work, we investigate numerically the effect of surfactants on the rheological response of a 2D sheared bubble cluster. To do so, a level-set method previously employed for simulating two-phase flow has been extended to include the effects of the surfactants. The dynamical processes of the surfactants-diffusion in the liquid and along the interface, adsorption/desorption at the interface-and their coupling with the flow-surfactant advection and Laplace and Marangoni stresses at the interface-are all taken into account explicitly. Through a systematic study in Biot, capillary and PĂ©clet numbers which characterise the surfactant properties in the simulation, we find that the presence of surfactants can affect the liquid/gas hydrodynamic boundary condition (from a rigid-like situation to a mobile one), which modifies the nature of the flow in the volume from a purely extensional situation to a shear. Furthermore, the work done by surface tension (the 2D analogue of the work by pressure forces), resulting from surfactant and interface dynamics, can be interpreted as an effective dissipation, which reaches a maximum for PĂ©clet number of order unity. Our results, obtained at high liquid fraction, should provide a reference point, to which experiments and models of T1 dynamics and foam rheology can be compared
Drop impact upon micro- and nanostructured superhydrophobic surfaces
We experimentally investigate drop impact dynamics onto different
superhydrophobic surfaces, consisting of regular polymeric micropatterns and
rough carbon nanofibers, with similar static contact angles. The main control
parameters are the Weber number \We and the roughness of the surface. At small
\We, i.e. small impact velocity, the impact evolutions are similar for both
types of substrates, exhibiting Fakir state, complete bouncing, partial
rebouncing, trapping of an air bubble, jetting, and sticky vibrating water
balls. At large \We, splashing impacts emerge forming several satellite
droplets, which are more pronounced for the multiscale rough carbon nanofiber
jungles. The results imply that the multiscale surface roughness at nanoscale
plays a minor role in the impact events for small \We \apprle 120 but an
important one for large \We \apprge 120. Finally, we find the effect of
ambient air pressure to be negligible in the explored parameter regime \We
\apprle 150Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure
Physicochemical Characteristics and Droplet Impact Dynamics of Superhydrophobic Carbon Nanotube Arrays
Wettability-independent bouncing on flat surfaces mediated by thin air films
The impingement of drops onto solid surfaces1, 2 plays a crucial role in a variety of processes, including inkjet printing, fog harvesting, anti-icing, dropwise condensation and spray coating3, 4, 5, 6. Recent efforts in understanding and controlling drop impact behaviour focused on superhydrophobic surfaces with specific surface structures enabling drop bouncing with reduced contact time7, 8. Here, we report a different universal bouncing mechanism that occurs on both wetting and non-wetting flat surfaces for both high and low surface tension liquids. Using high-speed multiple-wavelength interferometry9, we show that this bouncing mechanism is based on the continuous presence of an air film for moderate drop impact velocities. This submicrometre âair cushionâ slows down the incoming drop and reverses its momentum. Viscous forces in the air film play a key role in this process: they provide transient stability of the air cushion against squeeze-out, mediate momentum transfer, and contribute a substantial part of the energy dissipation during bouncing
Coupling the Leidenfrost effect and elastic deformations to power sustained bouncing
The Leidenfrost effect occurs when an object near a hot surface vaporizes
rapidly enough to lift itself up and hover. Although well-understood for
liquids and stiff sublimable solids, nothing is known about the effect with
materials whose stiffness lies between these extremes. Here we introduce a new
phenomenon that occurs with vaporizable soft solids: the elastic Leidenfrost
effect. By dropping hydrogel spheres onto hot surfaces we find that, rather
than hovering, they energetically bounce several times their diameter for
minutes at a time. With high-speed video during a single impact, we uncover
high-frequency microscopic gap dynamics at the sphere-substrate interface. We
show how these otherwise-hidden agitations constitute work cycles that harvest
mechanical energy from the vapour and sustain the bouncing. Our findings
unleash a powerful and widely applicable strategy for injecting mechanical
energy into soft materials, with relevance to fields ranging from soft robotics
and metamaterials to microfluidics and active matter
Flow of foam through a convergent channel
International audienceWe study experimentally the flow of a foam confined as a bubble monolayer between two plates through a convergent channel. We quantify the velocity, the distribution and orientation of plastic events, and the elastic stress, using image analysis. We use two different soap solutions: a sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solution, with a negligible wall friction between the bubbles and the confining plates, and a mixture containing a fatty acid, giving a large wall friction. We show that for SDS solutions, the velocity profile obeys a self-similar form which results from the superposition of plastic events, and the elastic deformation is uniform. For the other solution, the velocity field differs and the elastic deformation increases towards the exit of the channel. We discuss and quantify the role of wall friction on the velocity profile, the elastic deformation, and the rate of plastic events
Transition of liquid marble impacts onto solid surfaces
International audienceLiquid marbles are liquid droplets covered with hydrophobic particles. This particular layer physically isolates them from the substrate on which they are deposited. In this study, we investigate the properties of such liquid marbles when impacting onto a solid substrate. The different behaviors during impact (non-bouncing, bouncing and rupture) are experimentally characterized and scenarios for understanding the transitions between the three regimes are proposed. Eventually, we highlight the importance of particle surface coverage by comparing the impact of a liquid marble on a smooth surface with the impact of a bare water drop on a rough superhydrophobic microtextured surface. Copyright (C) EPLA, 201
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