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Crystal growth at a liquid–liquid interface upon drop impact

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2025

Marion Berry ,
Christophe Josserand ,
Anniina Salonen  and
François Boulogne Open the ORCID record for François Boulogne [Opens in a new window]
Marion Berry
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, UMR 8502, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France
Christophe Josserand
Affiliation:
Laboratoire d’Hydrodynamique (LadHyX), UMR 7646 CNRS-Ecole Polytechnique, IP Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, France
Anniina Salonen
Affiliation:
Soft Matter Sciences and Engineering, ESPCI Paris, PSL University, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
François Boulogne*
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, UMR 8502, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France
*
Corresponding author: François Boulogne, francois.boulogne@cnrs.fr
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Abstract

The crystallisation that occurs when a drop is in contact with a cold surface is a particularly challenging phenomenon to capture experimentally and describe theoretically. The situation of a liquid–liquid interface, where crystals appear on a mobile interface is scarcely studied although it provides a defect-free interface. In this paper, we quantify the dynamics of crystals appearing upon the impact of a drop on a cool liquid bath. We rationalise our observations with a model considering that crystals appear at a constant rate depending on the thermal shock on the expanding interface. This model provides dimensionless curves on the number and the surface area of crystals that we compare with our experimental measurements.

JFM classification

Drops and Bubbles: Drops Phase change: Solidification/melting

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Type
JFM Papers
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Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 1018 , 10 September 2025 , A10
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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Supplementary material: File

Berry et al. supplementary movie 1

Hexadecane drop impact at $v_0 = 2.8 \, m/s$ for two thermal shock, $\Delta T_{mc} = 8$ °C and $\Delta T_{mc} = 12.5$ °C
Download Berry et al. supplementary movie 1(File)
File 2.2 MB
Supplementary material: File

Berry et al. supplementary movie 2

Outlines of crystals on hexadecane drop impact at $v_0 = 2.8$ m/s and $\Delta T_{mc} = 12.5$ °C
Download Berry et al. supplementary movie 2(File)
File 1.2 MB