VISCOUS-GRAVITY SPREADING OF LIQUID-DROPS ON SOLIDS

This study is concerned with viscous-gravity spreading of liquid drops on a solid surface. The effect of the initial shape on spreading is i nvestigated. Numerical results are in good agreement with the similari ty solution for both cases of axisymmetric and cylindrical drops for s ufficiently long times. In addition to the results obtained for radius as a function of time, changes in the potential energy and shapes are also studied. Shapes are shown to undergo two or three phases dependi ng on the initial shape. On the other hand, losses of potential energy are shown to be converted into viscous dissipation. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.