Spreading of a non-Newtonian liquid drop over a horizontal plane

Abstract

The spreading of a drop of non-Newtonian (power-law) liquid over a horizontal solid substrate is analyzed theoretically through energy approach method in the case of complete wetting. In this approach we have used the physical and geometrical reasoning and finally obtained a relation between the rate of spreading and bottom radius of the drop. It is shown that spreading rate of shear thickening liquid is more than that of a Newtonian liquid while shear thinning liquid is having slower rate than the latter one.