https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2012-12114-x
Regular Article
Numerical solutions of thin-film equations for polymer flows
1
Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie Théorique, UMR CNRS Gulliver 7083, ESPCI, Paris, France
2
Department of Physics & Astronomy and the Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
* e-mail: thomas.salez@gmail.com
Received:
9
August
2012
Revised:
9
October
2012
Accepted:
10
October
2012
Published online:
12
November
2012
We report on the numerical implementation of thin-film equations that describe the capillary-driven evolution of viscous films, in two-dimensional configurations. After recalling the general forms and features of these equations, we focus on two particular cases inspired by experiments: the leveling of a step at the free surface of a polymer film, and the leveling of a polymer droplet over an identical film. In each case, we first discuss the long-term self-similar regime reached by the numerical solution before comparing it to the experimental profile. The agreement between theory and experiment is excellent, thus providing a versatile probe for nanorheology of viscous liquids in thin-film geometries.
Key words: Flowing Matter: Liquids and Complex Fluids
© EDP Sciences, SIF, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2012
