Evaporation of Ultra-thin Liquid Films into Air

We develop a mathematical model of evaporation of a thin liquid film into air under the action of disjoining pressure. The rate of evaporation is found from the numerical solution of the diffusion equation with specified local vapor concentration near the film surface, assumed equal to its equilibrium value. Evolution of the film is studied for two commonly used disjoining pressure models using a simplified formulation which neglects thermal gradients present in the system. The results are then compared to numerical simulations of coupled systems of equations describing heat conduction in the liquid and solid phases and diffusion of vapor through air. Conditions are formulated at which disjoining pressure suppresses evaporation.