Oscillatory Thermocapillary Instability in Liquid Layer with Insoluble Surfactant

Oscillatory convective flow is undesirable because it can produce bubbles, striation and dendrites in the manufactured products. The ability to control the complex convective flow patterns is important in technological processes and fundamental science. One of the factors that can alter the dynamics of the surface tension of thin fluid film is the surface-active agents. In this work, the influence of the insoluble surface-active agents on thermocapillary convective instability in a liquid layer for non-deformable free surface is examined. Uniform temperature and uniform heat flux for the temperature condition at the bottom surface are considered. The linear stability analysis is used to assess the effects of elasticity number, Lewis number, Prandtl number and Biot number on the onset of oscillatory convection. The existence of insoluble surfactant stabilizes the fluid layer system. The system is more stable in the case of uniform temperature. The presence of surfactant and temperature setting at the bottom boundary can suppress the onset of oscillatory instability.