Spreading of liquid drops over saturated porous layers

Spreading of small liquid drops over thin porous layers saturated with the same liquid is investigated from both theoretical and experimental points of view. A theory is presented that shows that spreading is governed by the same power law as in the case of spreading over a dry solid substrate. The Brinkman's equations are used to model the liquid flow inside the porous substrate. An equation of the drop spreading is deduced, which shows that both an effective lubrication and the liquid exchange between the drop and the porous substrates are equally important. The presence of these two phenomena removes the well-known singularity at the moving three-phase contact line. Matching of the drop profile in the vicinity of the three-phase contact line with the main spherical part of the drop gives the possibility to calculate the pre-exponential factor in the spreading law via permeability and effective viscosity of the liquid in the porous layer. Unfortunately, the latter dependency turns out to be very weak. Spreading of silicone oils over different microfiltration membranes is carried out. Radii of spreading on time experimental dependencies confirm the theory predictions. Experimentally found coefficients agree with theoretical estimations. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science (USA).