Microparticles effects on the stability of an air-water interface

Abstract eng:
When air is pushed inside a Hele-shaw cell containing a viscous liquid above a critical capillary number, Saffman Taylor instabil- ity leads to the formation of fingers, a phenomenon known as viscous fingering. Here Saffman-taylor experience is revisited when partially wettable hydrophilic particles are lying on the walls. It is shown that the presence of the particles leads to the reverse situation wherein liquid pushed inside a cell filled with air results in a fingering instability at low capillary number. This capillary-driven instability is due to the integration of particles to the interface resulting from interfacial energy minimization. Both axisymmetric and rectangular geometries are considered in order to quantify this phenomenon.

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