Dresden 2026 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 5: Wetting, Fluidics and Liquids at Interfaces and Surfaces I (joint session CPP/DY)

CPP 5.2: Vortrag

Montag, 9. März 2026, 10:00–10:15, ZEU/0260

Marangoni contracted droplets on Textured Surfaces: Insights from Lubrication Theory — •Raphael Saiseau, Ze Xu, and Stefan Karpitschka — Fachbereich Physik, Universität Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany

Wetting and evaporation of droplets on micropatterned surfaces are central to both natural processes and technological applications, from anti-icing and spray cooling to inkjet printing and semiconductor processing. Droplet behavior on such surfaces is set by surface chemistry and topography, and most control strategies traditionally rely on specific materials or designs, limiting their versatility.

By depositing droplets on top of a pillars-decorated substrate in a vapor-controlled chamber, we show that the spreading and wicking can be controlled, and even temporarily suppressed, by using the vapor of a second, low-surface tension liquid, generating Marangoni stresses through its condensation near the droplet edge. We present numerical and semi-analytical solutions of the thin film equation coupled to a composition evolution equation, and diffusion-limited evaporation. The wicking effect of the texture is implemented through an effective height-dependent pressure, analogous to classical hemiwicking models. The emerging Marangoni flows oppose the prevailing capillary flows, leading to a quasi-stationary rather than a spreading or wicking drop. We derive a predictive relation between material parameters and drop shape, opening the way for designing controlled coating, cleaning and drying strategies on textured surfaces.

Keywords: thin film equation; Multi-component droplet; Marangoni flows; Wicking and imbibition; Computational fluid dynamics