Studying the Dynamics of Breakdown of Thin Horizontal Liquid Layers with Local Heating

Abstract

Experimental study of liquid layers breakdown when heated locally from the substrate side was made. Water and ethanol were used as working liquids with a layer thickness of 300 μm. Basic steps of the breakdown process were found and mean velocities of the dry spot formation were determined; the values are 0.06 mm/sec for ethanol and 5.15 mm/sec for water. The formation of residual layer over the hot-spot before the breakdown has been found for both liquids. The creation of a droplet cluster near the heating region is observed when using water as a working fluid. It was shown that evaporation is one of the general factors influencing the process of layer breakdown and dry spot formation as well as thermocapillary effect.