Flow in thin liquid films: where interfaces meet rheology

Jan Vermant

ETH Zürich, Switzerland

Abstract

Flow in thin liquid films governs many processes in soft materials, such as emulsions, foams and colloidal dispersions. How the thin liquid films in these materials deform and break up represents a fascinating interplay between Newtonian (or Non-Newtonian) fluid mechanics, capillarity, surface forces and interfacial rheology. Unlikely bulk materials, interfaces are invariably compressible, which implies that different material functions and adsorption desorption phenomena come into play. These phenomena can be identified and measured. Different experimental approaches can then be used for studying drainage and thinning flows, for example the dynamic thin film balance is a tool which provides clear experimental insights. It is a relatively simple geometry, and can be compared well with numerical simulations giving a very nice and fruitful interplay between experiments and simulations. Novel experimental insights also provide a better view on how films break up and how this can be used in more detailed simulations.

I will be happy to discuss the challenges and perspectives from my perspective.

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