The elastic Leidenfrost effect: An interplay between vaporization rate, gas flow rate, and shape.

When a liquid droplet comes near a hot surface, vaporization can become sufficient to cause the drop to levitate—this is the Leidenfrost effect [1]. Vaporizable soft solids, e.g., hydrogels, can also exhibit levitation [2] or, additionally, a sustained bouncing effect [3]. The interplay between vaporization rate, gas flow rate, and shape is essential for these behaviors, but the nature of this interaction is not fully understood. We address this open question using high-speed interferometric imaging [4] to measure the 2D height profile underneath a floating hydrogel sphere.

References

[1] A.-L. Biance, C. Clanet, and D. Quere, Phys. Fluids, 15, 1632-1637 (2003)

[2] S. Waitukaitis, K. Harth, and M.v. Hecke, Phys. Rev. Lett., 121, 048001 (2018).

[3] S. Waitukaitis, A. Zuiderwijk, A. Souslov, C. Coulais, and M. v. Hecke, Nat. Phys., 13, 1095–1099 (2017).

[4] J. C. Burton, A.L. Sharpe, R. C. A. v. d. Veen, A. Franco, and S. R. Nagel, Phys. Rev. Lett., 109, 074301 (2012).