Controlling droplet deposition with polymer additives

Vance Bergeron (), Daniel Bonn, Jean Yves Martin and Louis Vovelle
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Vance Bergeron: Rhodia Recherches, Centre de Recherches Lyon
Daniel Bonn: Ecole Normale Superieure, Laboratoire de Physique Statistique
Jean Yves Martin: Rhodia Recherches, Centre de Recherches Lyon
Louis Vovelle: Rhodia Recherches, Centre de Recherches Lyon

Nature, 2000, vol. 405, issue 6788, 772-775

Abstract: Abstract Controlling the impact of drops onto solid surfaces is important for a wide variey of coating and deposition processes—for example, the treatment of plants with herbicides and pesticides requires precise targeting in order to meet stringent toxicological regulations. However, the outer wax-like layer of the leaves is a non-wetting substrate that causes sprayed droplets to rebound; often less than 50% of the initial spray is retained by the plant1. Although the impact and subsequent retraction of non-wetting aqueous drops on a hydrophobic surface have been the subjects of extensive experimental and theoretical work2,3,4,5,6,7, non-newtonian rheological effects have not been considered in any detail. Here we report that, by adding very small amounts of a flexible polymer to the aqueous phase, we can inhibit droplet rebound on a hydrophobic surface and markedly improve deposition without significantly altering the shear viscosity of the solutions. Our results can be understood by taking into account the non-newtonian elongational viscosity, which provides a large resistance to drop retraction after impact, thereby suppressing droplet rebound.

Date: 2000
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DOI: 10.1038/35015525

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