Elastocapillarity: interactions between droplets and thin fibers

It is well known that fluids can be drawn along a small fibre with a conical shape. This strategy is used in nature, for example the beaks of some birds, the spines on cacti, and the needles on some carnivorous trees, are shaped so that water can be efficiently transported. Our hope is that the same strategy may be used in fog harvesting in arid coastal regions and as a microfluidic platform. We will start by focussing on a related system that we propose to study: a polymer droplet on a small flexible conical. In such a case, it the change in the curvature along the taper of the cone drives flow. Using liquids that wet or dewet on such elastic tapered fibers will enable a deeper understanding of the role of curvature in the transportation of droplets. TO BE CONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

Kari Dalnoki-Veress

Student:

Partner:

École Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Education

University:

McMaster University

Program: