Issue 30, 2012

Evaporation control of sessile water drops by soft viscoelastic surfaces

Abstract

In this paper the evaporation of sessile water drops on soft viscoelastic substrates is investigated. We demonstrate how the deformation of the substrate close to the triple-phase contact line influences the evaporation of a sessile drop by using surfaces with similar wettability, but different viscoelastic properties. We show that water drops on soft surfaces (Young's modulus ∼ 0.02 MPa) evaporate faster than those on hard surfaces (Young's modulus ∼ 1.5 MPa). The faster evaporation rates on soft surfaces can be related to a different dynamic evolution of the receding contact angle, which is a direct consequence of the substrate deformation close to the triple-phase contact line. By adjusting the substrate softness we are able to control the transition between constant contact radius and constant contact angle evaporation modes.

Graphical abstract: Evaporation control of sessile water drops by soft viscoelastic surfaces

Additions and corrections

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 Apr 2012
Accepted
31 May 2012
First published
28 Jun 2012

Soft Matter, 2012,8, 7875-7881

Evaporation control of sessile water drops by soft viscoelastic surfaces

M. C. Lopes and E. Bonaccurso, Soft Matter, 2012, 8, 7875 DOI: 10.1039/C2SM25958C

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements