DROPLET COALESCENCE ON FIBERS

The growth, by coalescence, of oil droplets on a single fibre has been examined experimentally. The droplet growth and the associated droplet coalescence resulted in the evolution of a self-similar droplet pattern along the fibre length. The fraction of the fibre covered by the droplets became constant at about 0.75 and the coalescence process caused the droplets to grow at a rate which was 1.48 times greater than the growth rate of the individual droplets. A simple physical model, supported by a computer simulation study, was also used to explain the influence of the coalescence process on the growth. Overall, the results were found to be in good agreement with those for the analogous system involving the condensation of a vapour onto a 1D surface.