Issue 24, 2011

Microscopic structure influencing macroscopic splash at high Weber number

Abstract

The dynamics of water drop impact at high impinging velocity onto superhydrophobic substrates is experimentally investigated. The solid substrate—comprised of regular and hydrophobic micropillars—is transparent, thereby facilitating close-up, top-or-bottom-view, high-speed imaging. With a sufficient impact velocity, instead of a completely-bouncing “Fakir” droplet, wetting splashing can occur, with an entrapped air bubble at the centre surrounded by a wetted area as well as an emission of satellite droplets during the advancing phase of spreading lamella. A large portion of the lamella travels upon air and subsequently recoils due to surface tension, forming a partial rebound on the central wet spot. We present and discuss quantitative results of the entrapped air bubble, the central wetted area, and the maximal spreading lamella as the impact velocity is increased. We further vary the lattice periodicity of the micro-patterns and find its profound influence on the macroscopic flow. More specifically, directional splashing can emerge, emitting secondary droplets in certain directions which are associated with the lattice. Directional splashing can be suppressed to a gentle spreading by decreasing the periodicity of the lattice and, furthermore, can be tuned to a completely-wetting splashing in the diagonal directions of the lattice by a larger periodicity, offering opportunities to control the wetting process. Finally, the elimination of directional splashing by reducing air pressure suggests that the underlying air is squeezed outwards by the falling droplet upon the solid boundary whereby the air flow is affected, leading to different splashing behavior.

Graphical abstract: Microscopic structure influencing macroscopic splash at high Weber number

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
02 May 2011
Accepted
05 Jul 2011
First published
13 Sep 2011

Soft Matter, 2011,7, 11325-11333

Microscopic structure influencing macroscopic splash at high Weber number

P. Tsai, M. H. W. Hendrix, R. R. M. Dijkstra, L. Shui and D. Lohse, Soft Matter, 2011, 7, 11325 DOI: 10.1039/C1SM05801K

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements