Splashing phenomena of room temperature liquid metal droplet striking on the pool of the same liquid under ambient air environment

TL;DR

This study investigates the impact dynamics and splashing behavior of room temperature liquid metal droplets on pools of the same liquid, revealing effects of oxidation and temperature on impact phenomena relevant for various technological applications.

Contribution

It provides experimental and theoretical insights into how oxidation and temperature influence the impact and splashing behavior of room temperature liquid metal droplets.

Findings

Droplet shape and splash morphology differ significantly from water.

Jet height is highly sensitive to viscosity affected by oxidation and temperature.

Impact dynamics vary between room temperature and high temperature liquid metal pools.

Abstract

In this article, the fluid dynamics of room temperature liquid metal (RTLM) droplet impacting onto a pool of the same liquid in ambient air was investigated. A series of experiments were conducted in order to disclose the influence of the oxidation effect on the impact dynamics. The droplet shape and impact phenomenology were recorded with the aid of a high-speed digital camera. The impact energy stored in the splash structures was estimated via a theoretical model and several morphological parameters obtained from instantaneous images of the splash. It was observed that the droplet shape and the splashing morphology of RTLM were drastically different from those of water, so was the impact dynamics between room temperature LM pool and high temperature LM pool. The energy analysis disclosed that the height of the jet is highly sensitive to the viscosity of the fluid, which is subjected to the oxidation effect and temperature effect simultaneously, and thus perfectly explained the phenomena. These basic findings are important for the application of RTLM in a series of newly emerging technologies such as liquid metal based spray cooling, ink-jet printed electronics, interface material painting and coating, metallurgy, and 3D packages, etc.