How Do Grafted Polymer Layers Alter the Dynamics of Wetting?

We model the static and dynamic wetting properties of nonsoluble liquids on surfaces protected by end-grafted molten polymers. We show that in many situations the spreading dynamics should be controlled by viscoelastic phenomena in the polymer films. Temperature changes can cause the spreading velocities to be varied spectacularly by many orders of magnitude. Conversely, studying wetting on grafted polymer layers should provide a method to characterize their viscoelastic properties.