Electrification associated with drop splashing

Abstract

The charge separation associated with the splash of water and aqueous solution drops on rotating spheres was investigated. Flash photographs and observations provided a descriptive study of the splashing process. The influence of different factors on the electrification were studied : impact velocity up to 35 m/s, nature of the surface, electrolyte composition, type of collision and drop size. The data can be interpreted as resulting from a shearing of the electrical double layer at the solid-liquid interface.