First steps in the spreading of a liquid droplet.
We describe the first steps of spreading of a liquid droplet brought in contact with a solid that it wets completely. Usually, it is assumed that the dynamics of the droplet results from a balance between the spreading forces and viscosity. But before this classical stage, inertia resists to the motion, which leads to a very different dynamic law. We study experimentally the nature of this law, compare our results with recent theoretical predictions, and determine the duration of this inertial regime.
Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée, UMR 7125 du CNRS, Collège de France, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France.
Anne-Laure
AL
Biance
Christophe
C
Clanet
David
D
Quéré