Spreading of a droplet impacting on a smooth flat surface: how liquid viscosity influences the maximum spreading time and spreading ratio

Abstract

Existing energy balance models, which estimate maximum droplet spreading, fail to cover from low to high Weber and Reynolds numbers and contact angles. This is mainly due to the simplified definition of the viscous dissipation term and incomplete modeling of the maximum spreading time. In this particular research, droplet impact onto a smooth sapphire surface is studied for seven glycerol concentrations between 0% -100%, and 294 data points are acquired using high speed photography. Fluid properties such as density, surface tension, and viscosity are also measured. For the first time, we incorporate the fluid viscosity in the modeling of the maximum spreading time based on the recorded data. We also estimate the characteristic length and velocity of the viscous dissipation term in the energy balance equation. These viscosity-based characteristic scales help to formulate a more comprehensive maximum droplet spread-1