Controlled spreading of thermo-responsive droplets

Soft Matter. 2014 Feb 14;10(6):808-12. doi: 10.1039/c3sm52658e.

Abstract

A novel methodology for controlling the spreading of droplets impacting a substrate is presented. The working fluid is a thermo-responsive polymer solution that undergoes a sol-gel transition above a specific temperature. It is shown that the maximum diameter of a droplet at equilibrium can be controlled through the substrate temperature of the substrate and the polymer concentration.

MeSH terms

  • Gels / chemistry*
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • Solutions / chemistry*
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Temperature

Substances

  • Gels
  • Polymers
  • Solutions