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from https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b03247.
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height of the fluid column inside the tube (h). On the other hand, for
EXPERIMENTAL DETAILS receding contact angles (θr), immersed tubes were pulled upward at
the same speed, pausing occasionally to capture images. The height of
The liquids used were deionized water, glycerol (Acros, 15892-0010, the column (h) along with tube diameter (D) and properties of the
99+%), ethylene glycol (Fisher Scientific, BP230-1), isopropanol liquid (γ and ρ) were used to estimate contact angles (θ):5
(Pharmco-Aaper, 99% reagent ACS grade), and a perfluoroether oil
(DuPont Krytox 1506 Vacuum Pump Fluid). The properties of the
liquids are listed in Table 1. Values of surface tension (γ), density (ρ), Received: September 15, 2017
and viscosity (μ) were taken from the scientific and supplier Revised: October 17, 2017
literature.1−4 Published: October 27, 2017
water (and the other liquids), effectively exhibiting zero contact angles.
The polymers were relatively hydrophobic, with advancing contact
angles for water ranging between 70° and 109° and receding angles
between 46° and 99°.
Drainage Experiments. In most of the drainage experiments, a 10
cm length of tubing was filled by immersing it into a liquid container. Figure 2. Side view images of glass tubes of various diameters (D)
While still immersed, one end on the tube was plugged with a rubber pulled from a water reservoir at 100 mm/min. (a) D = 2.7 mm, (b) D
stopper; the other end was covered to prevent drainage. The tube was = 4.1, (c) 5.6, (d) 7.9, (e) 9.7, (f) 11.2, (g) 11.2, (h) 12.7m, and (i)
transferred from the liquid container to the tensile test machine; the 15.7 mm.
tube was oriented vertically with the stoppered end directed upward
and clamped, while the other end was immersed in a liquid reservoir.
Figure 1 shows such a tube in the tensile test machine. The vertical
end result from experiments with clean glass tubes that were
filled with water and then lifted from a reservoir−the larger
tubes with D ≥ 15.7 mm consistently drained. In contrast, the
smaller tubes with D ≤ 9.7 mm retained water. Tubes of
different lengths (5−25 cm) or partially filled tubes with air
above the liquid showed the same behavior.
It should be noted that the transition between retention and
drainage was not abrupt. If liquid laden tubes with diameters
slightly less than or equal to the critical diameter were tapped,
shaken slightly, or tilted, they drained. Tubes with slightly larger
diameters sometimes retained liquid when lifted from the
reservoir but were easily disturbed; the slightest perturbation
Figure 1. Image of a clean glass tube (D = 15.7 mm) containing water initiated drainage.
in the tensile test machine. The top end of the tube is plugged. The If liquid surface tension (γ) alone were at work, the
bottom end is immersed into a water reservoir. The water contains red maximum hydrostatic pressure (Δpmax) that could be supported
food coloring to improve contrast. inside the tubes by an upwardly directed Laplace pressure can
estimated as,6
tubes were pulled upward from the reservoir at velocities (v) of 10, 4γ
Δpmax =
100, 1000, or 2000 mm/min. The ascent of the tube was stopped D (2)
when its bottom was a short distance, usually 10 mm, above the liquid
reservoir. The observed behavior was noted. For water, Δpmax would range from 107 Pa for the smallest tube
Images and videos of the resulting phenomena were captured with a (D = 2.7 mm) to a mere 30 Pa for the largest nondrainer (D =
Nikon digital SLR camera. To improve contrast, red food coloring 9.7 mm). (These values are overestimates, as eq 2 assumes the
(McCormick Red) was added to some of the liquids. It made the liquid meniscus is a hemispherical cap.6 None of the menisci
liquids easier to see but did not affect the properties of the liquid nor were hemispherical shaped but had greater curvature;
the observed behavior.
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subsequently, their Laplace pressures were even lower.) With
a vertical length of 10 cm, the water inside these tubes
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION generated a hydrostatic pressure of nearly 1000 Pa. Thus, other
Consider the clean glass tube (D = 15.7 mm) shown in Figure factors must play a role in preventing drainage.
1. It is completely full of colored water. The top end of the tube The shape of the meniscus at the bottom of the tubes that
is plugged. The bottom end is immersed into a water reservoir. retained liquids provides additional evidence that surface
The tube does not spontaneously drain. With a proper seal, tension is not acting alone. The smallest tubes had convex
water remains abutted against the stopper indefinitely. On the menisci (bulging outward for the bottom of the tube). As the
other hand, if the stopper were dislodged or improperly seated diameter of tubes was increased, their curvature decreased,
to allow leakage, then the tube would drain from the top down. giving way to concave interfaces for the largest diameter tubes
This was true for all of the combinations of liquids and tubes that retained liquid. With this change in curvature, the Laplace
types, regardless of their diameter. pressure pushing upward against the liquid diminished and
12904 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b03247
Langmuir 2017, 33, 12903−12907
Langmuir Article
inverted, pulling downward on the liquid inside the largest (∼3×) considering that the perfluoroether oil has one-quarter
retaining tubes. the surface tension of water and is nearly twice as dense.
Why do these relatively large diameter tubes not drain? It is Influence of Tube Material and Wettability. Table 3
hypothesized that if the air−liquid interfaces at the bottom of also lists results from drainage experiments performed with
the raised vertical tube is sufficiently stable, then atmospheric water and plastic tubes. The various tubes had receding contact
pressure pushing upon it prevents the liquid from draining. angles between ∼0° and 99°. The drainage was only weakly
Otherwise, if the inner diameter of the tube is too large, the dependent on the wettability of the tubes, where the observed
air−liquid interface is sufficiently unstable that local deforma- onset of flow occurred between 9.5 and 15.7 mm, in agreement
tion can initiate drainage. with the predicted values from eq 3 of Dc = 10.2−12.7 mm.
There is rich literature on the dripping and jetting that occurs Tubes with an Angled Bottom. Nearly all of the tubes
as flowing liquids exit tubes or other orifices.7,8 The first papers tested here had flat ends cut normal to their length. Several
on this subject date from 19th century work of Savart, Plateau, experiments were done with PVC tubing that had its bottom
and Rayleigh.9−12 However, it seems that almost nothing has cut at a 45°, such that it resembled the sharp end of a
been published on the stability of stationary liquids in plugged hypodermic needle. These angled tubes were tested with water.
vertical tubes. Thus, a simple expression was derived here for Their behavior was similar to the flat bottomed tubes, except
estimating the critical orifice diameter (Dc) for the onset of the that drainage occurred for smaller diameter tubes, D > 6.4 mm.
drainage The presence of a diagonal cut increases the radius of curvature
⎡ of the interface and the hydrostatic pressure across the opening.
⎧
⎢ ⎪ Both of the factors are expected to make the tube more
Dc = ⎢(3 + cos θr)⎨3 + cos θr susceptible to drainage.
⎢⎣ ⎪
⎩ Influence of Viscosity, Lift Velocity, and Height. The
rate at which liquid-filled tubes were lifted from the reservoir
⎡ 2 ⎤−1/2 ⎫ ⎤1/2 had a subtle influence on drainage. Tubes with diameters
1 ⎛ 1 1 ⎞ ⎪ γ ⎥
+⎢ −⎜ − ⎟⎥ ⎬ ⎥ slightly larger than Dc (D/Dc ≈ 1−1.3) more frequently
⎢⎣ 4 ⎝2 3 + cos θr ⎠ ⎥⎦ ⎪ ρg ⎥ retained liquid when lifted at a faster rate. This is somewhat
⎭ ⎦ (3) surprising, as the greater acceleration/deacceleration at the
where γ and ρ are the surface tension and density of the liquid, beginning/end of the lift provided a greater jolt to the liquid. It
θr is the receding contact angle, and g is the acceleration due to may be that inertia carried more liquid within the capillary
gravity. Details of the derivation are given in the Appendix. bridge between the bottom of the tube and the reservoir,
Various Liquids. For water in clean, wettable glass tubes, eq producing a more convex curvature and thereby stabilizing the
3 predicts Dc = 13.6 mm, which agrees reasonably well with the meniscus. The notion that greater stability from faster lift rates
experimentally observed behavior, 9.7 mm ≤ Dc ≤ 15.7 mm. is also supported by the size and shape of the menisci of the
The experiments described above for water were repeated with nondraining tubes. Figure 3 shows side view images of 9.7 mm
other liquids in clean glass tubes. Results for the various liquids,
including water, are listed in Table 3. The other liquids behaved
■ CONCLUSIONS
Vertical tubes pulled from liquid reservoirs retained liquid when
their diameters were sufficiently small to inhibit distortion of Figure 4. Depiction of tubes that were filled with liquid, plugged at the
the air−liquid interface at their open bottom end. Atmospheric top end, oriented vertically, and then immersed in a liquid reservoir.
When lifted from the reservoir, the air−liquid interface at the bottom
pressure pushing on their air−liquid interface prevented of smaller diameter tubes is stable, and the tube does not drain. (a) A
drainage from tubes as tall as 10 m. If surface tension were tube with a stable convex meniscus. (b) A tube with a less stable
acting alone, the transition between draining and retention concave meniscus. (c) If the interface is sufficiently long (i.e., the tube
would have expected to occur at much smaller tube diameters. diameter is sufficiently large), a Rayleigh instability forms, and then (d)
■ APPENDIX
Derivation of Model for Drainage from a Tube
air enters the tube and the tube drains from the bottom up. (e) Cross-
sectional view of the critical meniscus shape where the hydrostatic
pressure and Laplace pressure are equal, Δph = ΔpL, for θr = 0°. (f)
Cross-sectional view of the critical meniscus shape where Δph = ΔpL
Consider the liquid-filled tubes depicted in Figure 4. They are for θr > 0°.
circular with inner diameters of D and exhibit advancing and
receding contact angles of θa and θr. Their upper end is
plugged. The tubes are oriented vertically and pulled upward As tubes of progressively larger diameters are lifted from their
from the reservoir to expose their open, bottom end to liquid reservoir, the shape of the meniscus changes. As tube
atmospheric pressure. If their diameter is sufficiently small, then diameter approaches the critical limit for drainage, the meniscus
liquid will not drain. For the smallest diameter tubes, the takes a sinusoidal shape, where liquid protrudes outward from
resulting meniscus at the bottom opening is convex, Figure 4a. one side of the tube end and inward from the other, Figure 4c.
12906 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b03247
Langmuir 2017, 33, 12903−12907
Langmuir Article
⎡ 2 ⎤−1/2 ⎫ ⎤1/2
Δph = ΔpL 1 ⎛ 1 1 ⎞ ⎪ γ ⎥
(4)
+⎢ −⎜ − ⎟⎥ ⎬ ⎥
⎢⎣ 4 ⎝2 3 + cos θr ⎠ ⎥⎦ ⎪ ρg ⎥
Assume that the maximum Laplace pressure (ΔpL) occurs ⎭ ⎦ (3)
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where the bulge expands to take a shape that can be
approximated as hemi-ellipsoid2,5 AUTHOR INFORMATION
γ γ Corresponding Author
ΔpL = + *E-mail: chuck.extrand@cpcworldwide.com. Tel: 1-651-999-
R1 R2 (5)
1859.
where γ is the surface tension and R1 and R2 are its principal ORCID
radii of the hemi-ellipsoidal bulge. Conversely, the critical C. W. Extrand: 0000-0002-0330-9236
hydrostatic pressure (Δph) can be estimated as Notes
The author declares no competing financial interest.
Δph = ρgR1 (6)
■
is assumed that the principal radii of curvature are
1 REFERENCES
R1 = D
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⎡ γ ⎤
1/2
(9) Savart, F. Mémoire sur la constitution des veines liquides lancées
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(10) Plateau, J. Experimental and Theoretical Statics of Liquids;
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1
R1 = D
3 + cos θr (10)
and
⎡ ⎛1 ⎞2 ⎤
1/2
1 1
R2 = ⎢ − ⎜ − ⎟⎥ D
⎢⎣ 4 ⎝2 3 + cos θr ⎠ ⎥⎦ (11)