Marangoni Convection Velocity in Nonlinear Hanging-Droplet Vibration Phenomena

Abstract

The Marangoni effect involves a mass transfer along an interface between two phases owing to the gradient of the interfacial tension. The flow caused by this phenomenon is called Marangoni convection, a complex phenomenon that involves mass transfer processes, such as surfactant adsorption/desorption processes, solvent dissolution phenomena, and viscous dissipation processes. Therefore, the strength of the convection depends on the various thermodynamic and physical properties of the fluids. In this study, we experimentally investigated the relationship between the Marangoni convection generated inside a hanging oil droplet and the interfacial tension of the oil droplet in an aqueous phase by the particle image velocimetry method. This convection velocity depended on the initial value of the interfacial tension in the oil–water interfacial tension oscillation phenomenon accompanied by the expansion and contraction of the hanging drop. Additionally, the droplet oscillation frequency decreased as the Marangoni convection velocity increased. Furthermore, continuous convection, which is unlike Marangoni convection, was observed within this spontaneously expanding and contracting hanging-droplet system. This buoyant convection was caused by the mutual dissolution of the hanging-droplet oil phase and the surrounding aqueous phase.