Communications: Wall free capillarity and pendant drop removal

Abstract

When a sessile drop encounters a pendant drop through a hole, it is generally anticipated that they will coalesce and flow downward due to gravity. However, like "wall-free" capillarity, we show that the pendant drop may be sucked up by a sliding drop instantaneously if the radius of the curvature of the former is smaller than that of the later. This phenomenon can be explained by Laplace-Young equation and convective Ostwald ripening. Our results indicate that superhydrophilic perforated surface can be used as an effective way for the removal of small droplets adhering to the inner walls of microchannel systems. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.