Dynamics and Stability of Capillary Surfaces
Capillary surfaces are gas/liquid interfaces whose shape is primarily determined by surface tension. Change of shape can drive an underlying flow. Alternatively, flow can induce shape change. Capillary surface dynamics are important to a broad range of forming and coating operations, including immersion lithography in semiconductor manufacturing, microfluidic drop manipulation in lab-on-chip platforms and low-gravity two-phase flow configurations.

*Courtesy of A. Davidhazy.

Planar flow Melt Spinning

Planar flow melt spinning (PFMS), known alternatively as ‘planar flow spin casting’ or ‘single roll spin casting’, is a process to rapidly solidify molten metal in a single step. Liquid metal is forced through a nozzle onto a rotating substrate wheel where sufficient heat is removed to solidify the material into a thin ribbon (100 micrometer) at high speed (10 meter per second), ribbon which is subsequently spun off the wheel to be collected. PFMS has diverse application, for example, to the fabrication of amorphous magnetic ribbon or of nano-crystalline structural steel foil. Our goal is to put this and related processes on a firm scientific foundation to enable innovation in product material properties and advanced manufacturing technique.