Effect of wettability on the water entry problem of aluminum spheres

We investigated the hydrodynamics of water entry by aluminum spheres varying in wettability, assisted by nano/microscaled surface morphology. A wide range of contact angle (C.A.: 0° ≤ θ₀ < 170°) on the test spheres was prepared via inexpensive single-step anodization method. The water entry events: Splash and cavity formation, were visualized by a high-speed camera to understand the fast transient features affected by the surface wettability. In terms of hydrodynamics, cavity formation and air entrainment during the water entry were analyzed via dynamic wetting of liquid film flow along the sphere surface. It was confirmed that wettability was a determinant factor of both splash shape and cavity formation, especially in hydrophobic condition (90° ≤ θ₀). Furthermore, the analysis of dynamic contact angle of liquid film front in this study was able to classify the water entry events more detail than previous literature. In addition, we also recorded audio signals to evaluate acoustic pressures produced by the impact between spheres and water pool. The audio signals, which are expected to be proportional to acoustic pressures, differed when hydrophilic and hydrophobic spheres entered water.