Rough capillary rise

Abstract

Capillary rise is a process whereby a liquid spontaneously rises against gravity within a narrow space due to capillary forces; but even though it is a well-understood phenomenon in smooth channels, predictive models to account for surface roughness are lacking. Here, the authors develop a theory of capillary rise in textured channels, supported by simulations and experiments, demonstrating the complex interplay between channel width, texture and wettability.