Issue 1, 2007
From the journal:

Soft Matter

Transient surface patterns during adhesion and coalescence of thin liquid films

Hongbo Zeng,a   Boxin Zhao,a   Yu Tian,ab   Matthew Tirrell,a   L. Gary Leala  and  Jacob N. Israelachvili*a  

* Corresponding authors

a Department of Chemical Engineering, Materials Department and Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
E-mail: jacob@engineering.ucsb.edu

b State Key Lab of Tribology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

Abstract

Surface deformations during the coalescence of two polymer melt films were studied by use of a surface forces apparatus (SFA). Well-ordered periodic surface ripple/finger patterns were observed during the adhesion and coalescence, which eventually disappeared, leaving smooth polymer–air interfaces. The life-times of these transient well-ordered patterns depend on the viscosity and film thickness of the polymer melts. These observations are in contrast to the conventional understanding that liquid–liquid coalescence usually occurs with the deforming surfaces remaining smoothly curved at all stages, with no esoteric shape-transitions. The results reveal a new feature associated with liquid–liquid adhesion/coalescence, which may be of key importance for a full understanding of coalescence processes. We propose an explanation for the observed phenomenon in terms of simple physical concepts, and discuss other microscopic and macroscopic (including biological) systems where similar effects are likely to occur.

Graphical abstract: Transient surface patterns during adhesion and coalescence of thin liquid films

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Article information

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/B613198K
Article type
Paper
Submitted
12 Sep 2006
Accepted
18 Oct 2006
First published
03 Nov 2006

Soft Matter, 2007,3, 88-93

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Transient surface patterns during adhesion and coalescence of thin liquid films

H. Zeng, B. Zhao, Y. Tian, M. Tirrell, L. G. Leal and J. N. Israelachvili, Soft Matter, 2007, 3, 88 DOI: 10.1039/B613198K

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