Simulating droplet adhesion on superhydrophobic surfaces

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Kumar, Pawan, Berry, Joseph D.
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2025
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author Kumar, Pawan
Berry, Joseph D.
author_facet Kumar, Pawan
Berry, Joseph D.
contents A numerical model is proposed to simulate the adhesion, compression, and subsequent detachment of a micro-liter droplet from a superhydrophobic surface composed of chemically homogeneous pillars arranged in a periodic fashion, replicating a typical force probe microscopy experiment. We observe that as the droplet is pulled away from the surface, the net vertical force varies in a typical sawtooth manner with peculiar peaks and troughs, characteristic of the surface. The force first reaches a maximum before the droplet detaches from the surface with a comparatively lower force. The force variation predicted by the numerical model is in good agreement with the experimental results of Kumar et al. [1]. We also studied the effect of evaporation on the variation in the adhesion force by simulating an evaporating droplet on a superhydrophobic surface. For an evaporating droplet, the numerically predicted maximum and detachment force magnitudes are in good agreement with those obtained experimentally when we take into account the change in the droplet weight as it evaporates. The proposed method will be useful for the quantitative analysis and design of a variety of superhydrophobic surfaces and will pave the way for more accurate surface characterization based on droplet adhesion force measurements.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_19906
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Simulating droplet adhesion on superhydrophobic surfaces
Kumar, Pawan
Berry, Joseph D.
Fluid Dynamics
Soft Condensed Matter
A numerical model is proposed to simulate the adhesion, compression, and subsequent detachment of a micro-liter droplet from a superhydrophobic surface composed of chemically homogeneous pillars arranged in a periodic fashion, replicating a typical force probe microscopy experiment. We observe that as the droplet is pulled away from the surface, the net vertical force varies in a typical sawtooth manner with peculiar peaks and troughs, characteristic of the surface. The force first reaches a maximum before the droplet detaches from the surface with a comparatively lower force. The force variation predicted by the numerical model is in good agreement with the experimental results of Kumar et al. [1]. We also studied the effect of evaporation on the variation in the adhesion force by simulating an evaporating droplet on a superhydrophobic surface. For an evaporating droplet, the numerically predicted maximum and detachment force magnitudes are in good agreement with those obtained experimentally when we take into account the change in the droplet weight as it evaporates. The proposed method will be useful for the quantitative analysis and design of a variety of superhydrophobic surfaces and will pave the way for more accurate surface characterization based on droplet adhesion force measurements.
title Simulating droplet adhesion on superhydrophobic surfaces
topic Fluid Dynamics
Soft Condensed Matter
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.19906