Breakdown of Evaporating Falling Films as a Function of Surface Tension Gradient

Abstract

This study has found that liquid film breakdown in isopropanol, ethylene glycol, and water mixtures occurred only in systems with negative surface tension gradients. These systems were characterized by a decrease in local surface tension with a decrease in film thickness. Thus, the direction of surface tension gradient with respect to film thickness can be used as a criterion for predicting falling film breakdown in certain mixture systems. Visual observations of an evaporating falling film gave insight into the mechanism of film breakdown. It appeared that a lateral surface shear force created by the surface tension gradient caused lateral expansion of valleys of the wavy film liquid film as it flowed over the heating surface. This valley expansion caused localized gradual thinning of the wavy film, so that the film thinned to an unstable thickness and broke down.