Dependence of Leidenfrost droplets behavior on the solvent species

Abstract

The Leidenfrost phenomenon is a unique behavior of droplets, in which a liquid, close to a surface with hotter temperature than the liquid's boiling point, produces an insulating vapor layer that makes the droplets hover over the surface, rather than making physical contact with it. This non-contact state between the droplet and hot surface leads to the decrease in heat transfer and the increase in evaporation time. Due to its characteristics, this Leidenfrost phenomenon has been involved in various industrial technologies, such as liquid cooling methods, precision machinery and semiconductor fabrication. In this study, we conducted the basic research using different solvents for innovating an industrial technology by controlling the behavior of droplet in the Leidenfrost state. As a result, we found that the behavior of the mixed solvents exhibit different compared with that of each solvents, and the droplet behavior can be controlled by adjusting the mixing ratio of the solvents. In the future, it is necessary to investigate the behavior on the diffrent surface state and to observe the Leidenfrost phenomenon in the smaller droplets.