The spreading of a paste or emulsion on a surface is a familiar process, yet the underlying physics is highly complex, as the properties of these materials lie somewhere between those of solids and liquids. Thin films of such materials can exhibit very different behaviour compared to the bulk, being highly dependent on both the film thickness and the roughness of the surface on which they are flowing. For example, a thin creamy film may spread much more easily than what would be expected from its bulk flow properties.
- J. Goyon
- A. Colin
- L. Bocquet
