77th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics (November 24, 2024 — November 26, 2024)
P2693716: Bloody Droplet
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/APS.DFD.2024.GFM.P2693716
Blood is one of the most intricate and vital fluids known to humans mainly due to its composition. Here, we illustrate the different stages of blood droplet drying. It begins with RBCs quickly migrating towards the edge, driven by capillary flow where evaporation is fastest. At this edge, a gel-like three-phase contact line forms resulting in a thick rim, known as the corona, around the central area due to the accumulation of RBCs, accompanied by a decrease in droplet height and contact angle. As the droplet undergoes gelation with minimal water remaining, it eventually desiccates, leading to formation of many radial & mudflat cracks. Intriguingly, the patterns formed by dried blood droplets can reveal distinctive features about humans!
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Any reuse must credit the author(s) and provide a link back to this page.