Schematic of lens with evaporating fluid

Top view

Bottom view

Crystallization of KMnO4 was achieved through room temperature evaporation of a solution pool on the convex surface of a 6.2 cm diameter lens with a rim holder.
Sufficient solution was used to fill to the level of the top convex surface. As the liquid pool evaporated, crystals formed in distinct ring-like structures in a phenomenon
similar to that previously observed by Deegan et al1. This phenomenon is sometimes called the coffee ring effect due to the fact that it is responsible for the
formation of rings in puddles of drying coffee. Flow carries material towards the center of the pool, resulting in an increasing concentration at the receding boundary
edge. Eventually, once the concentration of KMnO4 is higher than the critical supersaturation concentration, nucleation and growth occurs. Formation of crystals
depletes KMnO4 from solution, and the process repeats, resulting in concentric rings of crystals.
Interestingly, the size of the crystals increases the closer they are to the center, going from around half a milimeter to around 3 mm. Later crystal formation is thin and
wispy, while crystals formed earlier in the process are clearly distinguishable. This is due to the increasing concentration of the KMnO4 throughout the solution as the
water evaporates and the pool concentrates. Future work will explore the use of patterned substrates in order to provide crystal nucleation sites and thereby direct
crystal growth.

Journal of Heat Transfer

AUGUST 2012, Vol. 134 / 080903-1

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