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ISSN Online: 2379-1748

ISBN Flash Drive: 978-1-56700-431-1

ISBN Online: 978-1-56700-430-4

First Thermal and Fluids Engineering Summer Conference
August, 9-12, 2015 , New York City, USA

WETTING BEHAVIOR OF PROPANE DROPS ON SOLID MATERIALS

Get access (open in a dialog) pages 2049-2056
DOI: 10.1615/TFESC1.mph.012694

Abstract

Knowledge of the wetting behavior of liquids is essential for lots of industrial designs, where especially hydrocarbons are interesting. Nevertheless, examinations of the wetting behavior of propane on metallic surfaces could not be found in the considered literature so far.In general the wetting behavior is influenced by the solid material, as well as its surface characteristic and structure. The contact angle is a major parameter for the wetting behavior. The focus of this fundamental research is to determine the contact angle of liquid propane on smooth metallic surfaces, enabling for example flow simulations which require this characteristic wetting parameter. For the investigations a pressure resistant experimental apparatus was built up. Therein, sight glasses enable analysis and quantification of the wetting process of single drops. The experiments show an almost perfect wetting of propane on smooth metallic surfaces. For the determination of contact angles no conventional goniometrical method is applicable, hence the "Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis - Contact Diameter" measurement method was used which solves the Young-Laplace-Equation numerically to calculate the contact angle. In this contribution the experimental set-up and results are presented which show a time dependent contact angle on several solid materials.