Spreading of a liquid film on a substrate by the evaporation-adsorption process

Journal Article · Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992 · Journal of Colloid and Interface Science; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9797(92)90051-M· OSTI ID:6908867

Wayner, Jr, P C; Schonberg, J ^[1]

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1. Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY (United States). Isermann Dept. of Chemical Engineering

The importance of evaporation followed by multilayer adsorption in comparison to liquid flow at the leading edge of a volatile spreading film is analyzed. Presuming that both flows are functions of the same chemical potential gradient, a dimensionless group (N) which delineates the relative importance of vapor diffusion flow to viscous flow on the surface is obtained: N = [rho][sub i]D[nu]x/([minus][bar A][pi]). The relative importance of vapor flow increases with the vapor-pressure dependent partial density, [rho][sub i], and diffusivity, D, of the diffusing vapor, the kinematic viscosity of the liquid, [nu], and the distance downstream from the bulk liquid region, x, and decreases with the Hamaker constant, 6[pi][bar A]. Using physical properties the modifiers volatile'' and nonvolatile'' can thereby be put in perspective. Changes in the interfacial force field are a function of [bar A]. The spreading velocity due to the vapor diffusion process is obtained and is found to decrease with a decrease in the interfacial force field and the bulk vapor pressure. The infinite stress at the contact line can be easily relieved by evaporation-adsorption in many systems.

• DOE Contract Number: FG02-89ER14045
• OSTI ID: 6908867
• Journal Information: Journal of Colloid and Interface Science; (United States), Vol. 152:2; ISSN 0021-9797
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
VOLATILE MATTER
FLOW MODELS
LIQUID FLOW
ADSORPTION
ALKANES
DECANE
EVAPORATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLUID MECHANICS
STEELS
THIN FILMS
WETTABILITY
ALLOYS
DATA
FILMS
FLUID FLOW
HYDROCARBONS
INFORMATION
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MATTER
MECHANICS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
SORPTION
400201* - Chemical & Physicochemical Properties