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Experiments of Drops Impacting a Smooth Solid Surface: A Model of the Critical Impact Speed for Drop Splashing

Guillaume Riboux and José Manuel Gordillo
Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 024507 – Published 11 July 2014; Erratum Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 189901 (2014)
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Abstract

Making use of experimental and theoretical considerations, in this Letter we deduce a criterion to determine the critical velocity for which a drop impacting a smooth dry surface either spreads over the substrate or disintegrates into smaller droplets. The derived equation, which expresses the splash threshold velocity as a function of the material properties of the two fluids involved, the drop radius, and the mean free path of the molecules composing the surrounding gaseous atmosphere, has been thoroughly validated experimentally at normal atmospheric conditions using eight different liquids with viscosities ranging from μ=3×104 to μ=102Pas, and interfacial tension coefficients varying between σ=17 and σ=72mNm1. Our predictions are also in fair agreement with the measured critical speed of drops impacting in different gases at reduced pressures given by Xu et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 184505 (2005).].

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  • Received 20 December 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.024507

© 2014 American Physical Society

Erratum

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What Makes a Droplet Splash?

Published 11 July 2014

Whether a droplet hitting a solid surface flattens smoothly or forms a ragged splash depends on the gas surrounding it.

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Authors & Affiliations

Guillaume Riboux and José Manuel Gordillo*

  • Área de Mecánica de Fluidos, Departamento de Ingenería Aeroespacial y Mecánica de Fluidos, Universidad de Sevilla, Avenida de los Descubrimientos s/n, 41092 Sevilla, Spain

  • *jgordill@us.es

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Issue

Vol. 113, Iss. 2 — 11 July 2014

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