Inertial capillary uptake of drops

Abstract

Uptake of liquid drops into capillary tubes has been experimentally studied and quantitatively analyzed. In experiments, drops of water and aqueous glycerol (≤50 wt %) were drawn into cylindrical borosilicate glass and quartz tubes with an inner diameter of 0.50-0.75 mm. The meniscus height rise was measured using high-speed images captured at 4000 frames per second, and results within a conservatively defined inertial regime indicate constant uptake velocity. An increase in the inertial velocity with drop curvature was observed due to increasing Laplace pressure in the drop, as drop sizes were comparable to the width of the capillary tubes. Measured velocities were slower than predicted by a purely inertial-capillary model and best described by introducing a contact line friction, consistent with the observed variability and viscosity dependence of the results. Mean friction coefficients in borosilicate capillaries ranged from 169±1 for 50 wt % glycerol drops to 218±1 for water drops. Peaks in the instantaneous Laplace pressure caused by surface oscillations were also measured. Correlations with uptake velocity were qualitatively apparent, with a delay between peaks of similar magnitude to the inertial-capillary oscillation time.