Characterizing the Bounce and Separation Dynamics of Janus Drop on Macrotextured Surface

Polymers (Basel). 2022 Jun 8;14(12):2322. doi: 10.3390/polym14122322.

Abstract

Janus drops are thermodynamically stable when a high-viscosity fluid is imposed on a low-viscosity fluid. To understand physical mechanisms in Janus drop impact on macrotextured surfaces, several challenges in finding parameters or strategies still remain. Here, this study investigates the asymmetric bounce and separation of impinging Janus drops on non-wettable surfaces decorated with a macroridge to explore the effect of the drop size, viscosity ratio, and ridge size on the dynamics. Through numerical simulations, we determine the threshold Weber number, above which separation occurs, by varying drop diameters and viscosity ratios of the Janus drops. We investigate the initial bouncing directions of separated drops as a function of the impact velocity and viscosity ratio. We also predict how the separation efficiency is affected by the ridge's height and width. The asymmetric impact dynamics of Janus drops on macrotextured surfaces can provide new strategies to control drop bouncing in applications, such as liquid separation and purification.

Keywords: Janus drop; interfacial dynamics; macrotextured surface.