Development of Laser-Induced Capillary Wave Method for Viscosity Measurement Using Pulsed Carbon Dioxide Laser

A new experimental apparatus, based on the laser-induced capillary wave method involving the use of a pulsed carbon dioxide laser (wavelength 10.6 μm, pulse width 50 ns, power 65 mJ) as a heating source has been developed. Since the present technique is applicable to a wide range of viscosity, this method is applicable to the process in which the viscosity drastically changes within a short period of time. In this method, interfering laser beams heat a liquid surface and generate a capillary wave (the wavelength can be adjusted from 20 to 200 μm) caused by a spatially sinusoidal temperature distribution. The temporal behavior of the capillary wave is detected by a diffracted probe beam (He–Ne laser, 15 mW) at the heated area. The dynamics of the capillary wave provide information regarding thermophysical properties such as viscosity and surface tension. In the present study, several liquid samples spanning the viscosity range from 0.33 to 7080 MPa·s (e.g., acetone, toluene, 1-hexanol, ethylene glycol, JS1000, and JS14000) were investigated at room temperature. The detected signals for several liquid samples exhibiting a wide range of viscosity agree well with theoretical calculations, taking into account the influence of the distribution of surface tension.