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Role of wettability in the break-up of liquid films inside constricted capillaries

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6975161

To understand the role of wettability on gas-foam generation in porous media, this work considers the effect of conjoining/disjoining pressure on the dynamics of a liquid film forming an unstable collar in both straight and constructed cylindrical capillaries. A hydrodynamic lubrication analysis is presented to describe the time evolution of a thin viscous film under the influence of surface tension and the conjoining or disjoining forces. Time to break-up depends on the pore shape, the strength of the conjoining/disjoining forces, the initial film thickness, and also, on the fluid viscosity, interfacial tension, and unconstricted pore radius which combine to form a characteristic scaling time. Results show that both conjoining (intermediate wettability) and disjoining (strongly wetting) forces inhibit break-up. 33 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.

Research Organization:
California Univ., Berkeley (USA). Dept. of Chemical Engineering; Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC03-76SF00098
OSTI ID:
6975161
Report Number(s):
LBL-21804; CONF-850942-58; ON: DE87001880
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English