Phase diagram for droplet impact on superheated surfaces

Abstract

We experimentally determine the phase diagram for impacting ethanol droplets on a smooth, sapphire surface in the parameter space of Weber number $\mathit{We}$ versus surface temperature $T$. We observe two transitions, namely the one towards splashing (disintegration of the droplet) with increasing $\mathit{We}$, and the one towards the Leidenfrost state (no contact between the droplet and the plate due to a lasting vapour film) with increasing $T$. Consequently, there are four regimes: contact and no splashing (deposition regime), contact and splashing (contact–splash regime), neither contact nor splashing (bounce regime), and finally no contact, but splashing (film–splash regime). While the transition temperature $T_{L}$ to the Leidenfrost state depends weakly, at most, on $\mathit{We}$ in the parameter regime of the present study, the transition Weber number $\mathit{We}_{C}$ towards splashing shows a strong dependence on $T$ and a discontinuity at $T_{L}$. We quantitatively explain the splashing transition for $T<T_{L}$ by incorporating the temperature dependence of the physical properties in the theory by Riboux & Gordillo (Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 113(2), 2014, 024507; J. Fluid Mech., vol. 772, 2015, pp. 630–648).