Dynamics of a thin film with temperature-dependent viscosity on a rotating disk

The thermal effects on the dynamics of an axisymmetric flow of a non-volatile incompressible viscous thin liquid film on a rotating disk due to viscosity variation depending exponentially on temperature are considered. The nonlinear evolution equation is solved numerically. The numerical results reveal that heating the film from below enhances the rate of thinning. The increase in Biot number increases the film thickness, when the film is heated from below. Further, the relative amount of fluid retained on the substrate decreases as the film is heated from below. The results are reversed for the case of a film which is cooled from below. The rate of thinning of the film is more (less) for the case of temperature dependent viscosity when the film is heated (cooled) from below than for the case of constant viscosity of the fluid. © Springer-Verlag 2005.