Desiccating colloidal sessile drop: dynamics of shape and concentration

Using lubrication theory, drying processes of sessile colloidal droplets on a solid substrate are studied. A simple model is proposed to describe temporal dynamics of both the shape of the drop and the volume fraction of the colloidal particles inside the drop. The concentration dependence of the viscosity is taken into account. It is shown that the final shapes of the drops depend on both the initial volume fraction of the colloidal particles and the capillary number. The results of our simulations are in a reasonable agreement with the published experimental data. Computations for the drops of aqueous solution of human serum albumin are presented.