The velocity field near moving contact lines

The dynamics of a spreading liquid body are dictated by the interface shape and flow field very near the moving contact line. The interface shape and flow field have been described by asymptotic models in the limit of small capillary number, Ca. Previous work established the validity and limitations of these models of the interface shape (Chen et al. 1995). Here, we study the flow field near the moving contact line. Using videomicroscopy, particle image velocimetry, and digital image analysis, we simultaneously make quantitative measurements of both the interface shape and flow field from 30 mu m to a few hundred microns from the contact line. We compare our data to the modulated-wedge solution for the velocity field near a moving contact line (Cox 1986). The measured flow fields demonstrate quantitative agreement with predictions for Ca less than or equal to 0.1, but deviations of similar to 5% of the spreading velocity at Ca approximate to 0.4. We observe that the interface shapes and flow fields become geometry independent near the contact line. Our experimental technique provides a way of measuring the interface shape and velocity field to be used as boundary conditions for numerical calculations of the macroscopic spreading dynamics.