4. Interface dynamics

4.1 General

In this section, we describe a few general laws of wetting dynamics, in particular those relating to impregnation and forced wetting (fluid deposits), as well as various questions concerning instabilities (jets, de-wetting). We have chosen to adopt a scaling laws approach, rather than indulge in lengthy theoretical developments. The aim is above all to show, on these difficult questions, which parameters are relevant and how the quantity studied varies as a function of these parameters. Readers can supplement this intuitive point of view (often sufficient to tackle a practical problem) by referring to the more specialized (but often more academic) articles or books cited in the bibliography.

Another natural limitation of this presentation is that...