Forced Wetting of Liquids Using Ultrasonic Surface Vibration
Many processes rely on wetting of liquids on surfaces. The way a liquid wets a solid depends on chemistry, geometry, and local energy inputs. Low-frequency surface vibrations can effect wetting changes prompted by droplet oscillations. High-frequency (ultrasonic) surface vibration can also cause a liquid to wet or spread out on a solid, but governing mechanisms are relatively uncharacterized. To investigate, droplets are imaged as they vibrate on a hydrophobic surface over different high frequencies (> 10 kHz). Wetting transitions occur abruptly over a range of parameters, but coincide with surface resonance modes. The wetting change is proportional to droplet volume and surface acceleration, and remains after cessation of vibration, however new droplets wet with the original contact angle. Wetting control has various industry applications, and understanding these basic phenomena will help develop a deeper understanding of how ultrasonic vibration can be utilized to tune the behavior of liquids on any surface.