A kinetic study of the spontaneous penetration of a water drop into a hydrophobic pore

The spontaneous penetration of a water drop into hydrophobic single-pored samples of varying inside and outside diameters was studied. During penetration, the radius of the water drop, its contact angle, the contact radius, and the penetration length inside the pore were measured against time. Experimental results showed that a water drop on the sample with the smaller pore had a longer penetration time than a water drop on the sample with the bigger pore. A pored sample with a small outside radius (thin tube) leads to a fast penetration rate presenting a parabolic trend in penetration versus time. The maximum penetration rate was observed when the contact angle was 90 degrees. This is mainly due to the minimum radius of the drop at this angle as the drop radius directly relates to the Laplace pressure, which is the driving force in penetration. Two factors were identified as affecting penetration. The first is the receding contact angle leading to the stick-slip-like motion of a water drop. The second is the outside radius of a pored sample, which affects the penetration rate and trend. These factors were also correlated to the penetration process through theoretical analysis considering the geometry of the capillary system, volume conservation and momentum conservation. The initial contact angle and radius of a drop were determined by the outside radius of a pored sample, which changed Laplace pressure with time, thus influencing the penetration trend and rate. This indicates that a thin tube promotes fast penetration, and the point of maximum penetration rate was shown to be later during the penetration. Understanding the effects of outside radius and receding contact angle in the kinetic aspect of drop penetration into a hydrophobic pore is fundamentally important. This research is beneficial to the design of porous materials and in controlling the wetting and penetration process.