Eur. Phys. J. E (2007) 23: 289-293
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2007-10190-7

Regular Article

Droplets on inclined rough surfaces

¹ Department of Physics, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35 (YFL), FI-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
² VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P.O. Box 1603, FI-40101, Jyväskylä, Finland

^* e-mail: jari.hyvaluoma@jyu.fi

Received: 8 March 2007
Accepted: 8 June 2007
Published online: 24 July 2007

Abstract

The behaviour of liquid droplets on inclined heterogeneous surfaces was simulated by the lattice-Boltzmann method using the Shan-Chen multiphase model. The effect of topography of the surface on the contact angle hysteresis was investigated. It is shown in particular, by using anisotropic rough surfaces, how surface topography and thereby the continuity of the three-phase contact line, affect this hysteresis. Our results clearly indicate that the superhydrophobicity of a surface cannot be judged by the contact angle alone.