2025/09/10 by Julie Godefroid, Godefroid, Julie, David Bouttes +5
Engineering · Materials Science · #FOS: Physical sciences #Fluid Dynamics (physics.flu-dyn) #Fluid Dynamics Simulations and Interactions #Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer #Surface Modification and Superhydrophobicity
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2509.08558
openalex publication_date 2025/09/10 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We report in this experimental and numerical study effects of gelation on the early-time spreading (< 10ms) of millimetric non-Newtonian drops of biopolymer and particle suspensions impacting a Newtonian liquid containing reactive compounds. Our analyses are initially conducted through experiments by considering a variety of biopolymer and gelling compound concentrations, and impact velocities. The experimental results are then compared to three-dimensional numerical simulations based on a variational multiscale approach, which focuses on the impact of simple viscoplastic drops on a liquid bath in the absence of gelation (non-reactive liquid). These comparisons enable the development of theoretical arguments that emphasise relevant gelation effects on the drop's maximum spreading.