Chemical precipitation structures formed by drops impacting on a deep pool

The experiments described here are at the intersection of two dynamical systems with long pedigrees for forming interesting patterns: liquid droplet impacts and precipitation membranes. Drops of calcium chloride solution have been allowed to impact on a deep pool of sodium silicate solution. The precipitation structures produced by this method, and how these structures subsequently evolve, have been observed. Many interesting patterns can be formed from this process. It is observed that the precipitation patterns produced are sensitive to the shape of the drop when it impacts the pool's surface. Also, at large drop heights, we determine two critical Weber numbers: one for forming a skirt around the structures and the other for breakup of the structures. On longer time scales, open tubes grow from the closed precipitation shell produced at lower drop heights. These tubes can appear in large numbers with nearly identical sizes and diameters as small as 50 μm.