water droplets levitate tagged posts

A 2-mm-diameter ethanol droplet impacts on a hot surface. The corresponding videos with TIR images showing the droplet height are below. Credit: Shirota, et al. ©2016 American Physical Society

Leidenfrost effect occurs when water droplets levitate and skid around on top of a very hot surface, rather than immediately evaporating like they do at temperatures that are not quite as hot. The effect occurs because the bottom of the droplet rapidly vaporizes as it approaches the hot surface, causing the droplet to levitate on top of its own vapor. It has industrial cooling applications.

Now researchers have filmed the 1st videos of the tiny (<100 nm) levitation space between the hot surface and the impacting liquid droplet, in this case not of water but ethanol and fluorinated heptane...