Droplet impact behavior on heated micro-patterned surfaces

Abstract

Impact behavior of droplets on a surface is an intriguing research topic, and its control should be very useful in diverse industrial applications. We investigated the impact behavior of water droplets on the textured and chemically treated surface of silicon and obtained the impact mode map on the parameter plane subtended by the Weber number (up to 85) and temperature (up to 320 °C). The patterns comprise of micropillars (14 μm in height) in square lattice with a lattice constant of 10 and 20 μm, and the surface was further made superhydrophobic by coating with graphene nanosheets. Six distinct impact modes are identified. It was found that the impact mode map can be dramatically altered by modifying the texture and chemistry of the surface, and the observations are well explained with regard to heat transfer, vapor/bubble generation and vapor flow beneath the droplet. Instability in the droplet arising from the mismatch between vapor generation rate and exhaust conditions is the dominant factor in determining the impact mode. Our results revealed more facts and features of the droplet impact phenomenon and can be very useful for target-oriented surface design towards precise control of droplet impact behavior on heated substrates.