Spontaneous imbibition in a slit pore: a lattice-gas dynamic mean field study

TL;DR

This paper uses a lattice-gas model and dynamic mean-field theory to investigate how precursor films affect the speed of spontaneous imbibition in slit pores, emphasizing the role of liquid mass conservation.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical approach combining lattice-gas and mean-field methods to analyze imbibition, highlighting the impact of precursor films on imbibition dynamics.

Findings

Precursor films significantly influence imbibition speed.

Liquid mass conservation affects front propagation.

Theoretical framework applicable to confining geometries.

Abstract

We present a theoretical study of spontaneous imbibition in a slit pore using a lattice-gas model and a dynamic mean-field theory. Emphasis is put on the influence of the precursor films on the speed of the imbibition front due to liquid mass conservation. This work is dedicated to Bob Evans for his 65th birthday in recognition of his seminal contributions to the theory of fluids in confining geometries.