Capillary Instability of a Liquid Film on a Wire

Abstract

Capillary instability of a liquid film on a wire in another fluid (gas or liquid) is investigated. The liquid film is found to be unstable whenever the wavelength of the surface disturbance exceeds the circumference of the film surface—this criterion for instability of the liquid film is the same as that established by Rayleigh for a liquid thread. Analysis shows that instability of the liquid film is strongly influenced by film thickness and the properties of the film and the ambient fluid, and that thin, highly viscous liquid films are more stable than thick, low viscosity liquid films.