Evaporation of Micro-Droplets: the "Radius-Square-Law" Revisited |
| D. Jakubczyk, M. Kolwas, G. Derkachov, K. Kolwas and M. Zientara
Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. Lotników 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland |
| Received: August 21, 2012 |
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| The range of applicability of a fundamental tool for studying the evolution of droplets, the "radius-square-law", was investigated both analytically and numerically, on the basis of the experimental results of our own as well as of other authors. Standard issues were briefly discussed. Departures from the "radius-square-law" caused by the influence of impurities encountered in non-ideal liquids, by the kinetic and surface tension effects encountered for small droplets or by thermal imbalance encountered in light-absorbing droplets were analysed. The entanglement between the kinetic and impurities effects was studied numerically yielding a possible explanation to evaporation coefficient discrepancies found in the literature. An unexpected "radius-square-law" persistence in case of non-isothermal evolutions of very small droplets in atmosphere nearly saturated with vapour was analysed. The coexistence of the kinetic effects and the strong effects of surface tension was found responsible for this effect. |
| DOI: 10.12693/APhysPolA.122.709 PACS numbers: 64.70.F-, 64.70.fm, 68.03.Fg, 68.03.Hj, 05.70.Ln |