Dewetting

In fluid mechanics, dewetting is one of the processes that can occur at a solid–liquid or liquid–liquid interface. Generally, dewetting describes the rupture of a thin liquid film on the substrate (either a liquid itself, or a solid) and the formation of droplets. The opposite process—spreading of a liquid on a substrate—is called spreading. The factor determining the spontaneous spreading and dewetting for a drop of oil placed on a liquid substrate (water here) with ambient gas, is the so-called spreading coefficient :