1001.2669v1.pdf (2.59 MB)
Modelling approaches to the dewetting of evaporating thin films of nanoparticle suspensions
journal contribution
posted on 2014-10-07, 13:04 authored by Uwe Thiele, Ioan Vancea, Andrew ArcherAndrew Archer, Mark J. Robbins, Lubor Frastia, A. Stannard, E. Pauliac-Vaujour, C.P. Martin, M.O. Blunt, P.J. MoriartyWe review recent experiments on dewetting thin films of evaporating colloidal nanoparticle
suspensions (nanofluids) and discuss several theoretical approaches to describe the ongoing
processes including coupled transport and phase changes. These approaches range from
microscopic discrete stochastic theories to mesoscopic continuous deterministic descriptions. In
particular, we describe (i) a microscopic kinetic Monte Carlo model, (ii) a dynamical density
functional theory and (iii) a hydrodynamic thin film model.
Models (i) and (ii) are employed to discuss the formation of polygonal networks, spinodal
and branched structures resulting from the dewetting of an ultrathin ‘postcursor film’ that
remains behind a mesoscopic dewetting front. We highlight, in particular, the presence of a
transverse instability in the evaporative dewetting front, which results in highly branched
fingering structures. The subtle interplay of decomposition in the film and contact line motion is
discussed.
Finally, we discuss a simple thin film model (iii) of the hydrodynamics on the mesoscale.
We employ coupled evolution equations for the film thickness profile and mean particle
concentration. The model is used to discuss the self-pinning and depinning of a contact line
related to the ‘coffee-stain’ effect.
In the course of the review we discuss the advantages and limitations of the different
theories, as well as possible future developments and extensions.
Funding
AJA and MJR gratefully acknowledge RCUK and EPSRC, respectively, for financial support. We acknowledge support by the European Union via the FP6 and FP7 Marie Curie schemes (grants MRTN-CT-2004005728 (PATTERNS) and PITN-GA- 2008-214919 (MULTIFLOW)).
History
School
- Science
Department
- Mathematical Sciences
Published in
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-CONDENSED MATTERVolume
21Issue
26Pages
? - ? (13)Citation
THIELE, U. ... et al, 2009. Modelling approaches to the dewetting of evaporating thin films of nanoparticle suspensions. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 21 (26), 264016.Publisher
© IOP Publishing LtdVersion
- AM (Accepted Manuscript)
Publisher statement
This work is made available according to the conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) licence. Full details of this licence are available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Publication date
2009Notes
This article was published in the serial, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter [© IOP Press]. The definitive version is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984/21/26/264016ISSN
0953-8984Publisher version
Language
- en