Influence of Dynamic Surface Tension on the Spreading of Surfactant Solution Droplets Impacting onto a Low-Surface-Energy Solid Substrate

We have investigated the impact of single droplets of various surfactant solutions on a low-surface-energy solid substrate using a high-frequency visualization technique (one picture every 100 μs). Whatever the surfactant, the drop spreads and retracts in about 1 s under the action of inertia and capillarity, respectively. During retraction, the capillary waves can be amplified and, in some cases, even yield droplet bouncing. Then, the droplet may slowly spread again due to gravity and the unbalanced capillary forces at the contact line between the droplet and the substrate. During the fast spreading process (2-3 ms), the droplet surface increases by almost one order of magnitude since its shape changes from a sphere to a flat pancake; this causes a strong deviation from thermodynamic equilibrium. The relevant surface property is therefore the dynamic surface tension which we have evaluated using a maximum bubble pressure apparatus. We have shown that droplet retraction is drastically influenced by the adsorption kinetics of the surfactant which limits the return to equilibrium surface tension.