Mechanism of breakage of liquid threads

Abstract

The problem of formation and breakage of liquid threads has been discussed from the theoretical point of view. It has been shown that the length of a liquid thread may be limited by two different break processes: brittle cohesive break and break-up into drops due to development of axisymmetrical capillary waves. The actual break moment and the thread length in given conditions are determined by cohesive break affected by development of capillary waves. The effect of waves capillary dominates in low-viscous liquids at low deformation rates — the practically independent cohesive process in high-viscous materials at rapid deformations. The experimental data are qualitatively consistent with the theory and directly confirm the character of break processes. The theory makes also possible the explaining of all the empirical data concerning the “spinnability” of liquids.