Droplets on lubricated surfaces: The slow dynamics of skirt formation
Zhaohe Dai, Dominic Vella
Abstract
Lubricated surfaces are formed by coating surfaces with a thin layer of oil lubricant. We consider a model problem to understand how lubricated surfaces respond to the deposition of a droplet, which induces forces on the lubricant via its Laplace pressure and the triple line (the Neumann balance). This forcing leads to the formation of a meniscus around the droplet, or `skirt'. We show that the properties of the skirt depends on the amount of lubricant available in the lubricant reservoir and also that the the evolution towards the equilibrium is extremely slow.
Topics & Concepts
LubricantLaplace pressureMaterials scienceMeniscusCoatingMechanicsDeposition (geology)Composite materialGeologyThermodynamicsOpticsPhysicsSedimentSurface tensionPaleontologyIncidence (geometry)Adhesion, Friction, and Surface InteractionsSurface Modification and SuperhydrophobicityFluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer