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Surface Structures in Thin Polymer Layers Caused by Coupling of Diffusion‐Controlled Marangoni Instability and Local Horizontal Temperature Gradient
Author(s) -
Weh Lothar
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
macromolecular materials and engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.913
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1439-2054
pISSN - 1438-7492
DOI - 10.1002/mame.200500165
Subject(s) - marangoni effect , materials science , temperature gradient , instability , marangoni number , evaporation , diffusion , layer (electronics) , composite material , polymer , convection , surface tension , substrate (aquarium) , thermodynamics , mechanics , oceanography , physics , quantum mechanics , geology
Summary: Surface tension‐driven Marangoni convection causes the formation of regular surface structures in drying polymer layers. The shape of the surface structures formed during solvent evaporation depends on layer and interfacial dynamic parameters as well as external factors. The influence of a horizontal radial temperature gradient produced by a point heat source below the polymer layer on the diffusion‐controlled Marangoni instability has been studied. In the region of the lateral temperature gradient, radial surface flow coupled with the interfacial instability leads to stripe, ladder, chevron and/or labyrinthine surface structures.Stepped ladder structures in a poly(vinyl butyral) layer produced by interfacial instability and heating with an ultrasonic sonotrode below the layer substrate.