Marangoni-driven freezing dynamics of supercooled binary droplets

Abstract

Solidification of droplets is of great importance to various technological applications, drawing considerable attention from scientists aiming to unravel the fundamental physical mechanisms. In the case of multicomponent droplets undergoing solidification, the emergence of concentration gradients may trigger significant interfacial flows that dominate the freezing dynamics. Here, we experimentally investigate the fascinating interfacial freezing dynamics of supercooled ethanol-water droplets, accompanied with the migration and growth of massive ice particles. We reveal that these unique freezing dynamics are driven by solidification-induced solutal Marangoni flow within the droplets. Our model, which incorporates the temperature- and concentration-dependent properties of the ethanol-water mixture, quantitatively predicts both the migration velocity and the growth rate of the ice particles. The former is determined by the solutal Marangoni flow velocity, while the latter is governed by a balance between the latent heat release and the enhanced thermal dissipation by the Marangoni flow. Moreover, we show that the final wrapping state of droplets can be modulated by the concentration of ethanol. Our findings may pave the way for novel insights into the physicochemical hydrodynamics of multicomponent liquids undergoing phase transitions.