Pinning of a drop by a junction on an incline

Joël De Coninck, Juan Carlos Fernández Toledano, François Dunlop, and Thierry Huillet
Phys. Rev. E 96, 042804 – Published 27 October 2017

Abstract

The shape of a drop pinned on an inclined substrate is a long-standing problem where the complexity of real surfaces, with heterogeneities and hysteresis, makes it complicated to understand the mechanisms behind the phenomena. Here we consider the simple case of a drop pinned on an incline at the junction between a hydrophilic half plane (the top half) and a hydrophobic one (the bottom half). Relying on the equilibrium equations deriving from the balance of forces, we exhibit three scenarios depending on the way the contact line of the drop on the substrate either simply leans against the junction or overfills (partly or fully) into the hydrophobic side. We draw some conclusions on the geometry of the overlap and the stability of these tentative equilibrium states. In the corresponding retention force factor, we find that a major role is played by the wetted length of the junction line, in the spirit of Furmidge's observations. The predictions of the theory are compared with extensive molecular dynamics simulations.

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  • Received 20 July 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.96.042804

©2017 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Joël De Coninck1, Juan Carlos Fernández Toledano1, François Dunlop2, and Thierry Huillet2

  • 1Laboratoire de Physique des Surfaces et Interfaces, Université de Mons, 20 Place du Parc, 7000 Mons, Belgium
  • 2Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Modélisation, CNRS-UMR 8089, Université de Cergy-Pontoise, 95302 Cergy-Pontoise, France

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Issue

Vol. 96, Iss. 4 — October 2017

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