The stability of an inclined pendent drop

Adeniyi Lawal, Robert A. Brown

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

26 Scopus citations

Abstract

A pendent drop remains attached to the tip of an inclined circular tube only when the drop volume is below a critical value. At this critical volume the drop may either lose stability to a perturbation of the wetting line that lets the liquid climb along the outside of the tube or lose equilibrium because drop shapes that satisfy the balance of capillary and gravitational forces are no longer possible. These two models for the loss of the static shape are distinguished by finite-element analysis of drop shape and stability that calculates the limits of shape equilibria in terms of drop volume, inclination angle, and gravitational Bond number B ≡ gR2Δρ σ. Numerical results are verified by comparison with previous calculations for vertical pendent drops and with experiments for inclined drops. The capillary mode for the loss of equilibrium controls drop stability as long as the local contact angle around the tube does not violate Gibbs' criterion for the advance of a wetting line over a sharp edge. Calculations determine the role of the shape of the contact curve in determining the onset of drop rupture.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)332-345
Number of pages14
JournalJournal of Colloid and Interface Science
Volume89
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 1982

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