Explosive boiling of water films adjacent to heated surfaces: A microscopic description

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to investigate the separation of wa ter films adjacent to a hot metal surface. The simulations clearly show tha t the water layers nearest the surface overheat and undergo explosive boili ng. For thick films, the expansion of the vaporized molecules near the surf ace forces the outer water layers to move away from the surface. These resu lts are of interest for mass spectrometry of biological molecules, steam cl eaning of surfaces, and medical procedures.