Thin Liquid Film View and Shear Stress During the Sliding of Air Bubbles on Tilted Plates

The challenge when studying the impact and sliding of free-rising air bubbles on tilted surfaces is an experimental limitation in obtaining the film thickness of thin liquid film (TLF) during the bubbles’ sliding on tilted surfaces. In this work, spatiotemporal evolution in the film thickness of the moving TLF between a sliding air bubble and a tilted plate was monitored by using a two-wavelength synchronized reflection interferometry microscopy (SRIM) technique. The evolution of the film thickness was directly determined from a timed series of monochromatic interference fringes recorded simultaneously at two different wavelengths. From the film thickness profile, a shear stress map at a given time was determined at different bubble sizes and inclination angles. Results showed that the film thickness of TLFs during the bubbles’ sliding on tilted surfaces was in the range of 300–1200 nm, depending on bubble size and tilting angles. Sliding of air bubbles on tilted plates over a thin gap with a few hundred nanometers thickness yielded shear stress in the order of 10–50 Pa. Both the larger bubble size and higher tilting angles yielded a higher shear stress. Experimental results were quantitatively compared to numerical results obtained using the Reynolds lubrication theory. A good match between the two results was achieved. Numerical results suggested that a maximum shear stress exerted on a tilted plate occurred at a 25° tilting angle. This is the first time that the spatiotemporal evolution of TLF during bubbles’ sliding on tilted surfaces has been achieved, and the shear stress exerted on the tilted surface has been directly determined.