High velocity impact on a thin (non-Newtonian) fluid layer

During the high velocity impact of an object on a solid covered with a thin fluid layer, a lubricated contact exists within the short time in which the liquid is squeezed out from the contact. This is important for e.g. the grip of shoes on wet surfaces. We experimentally study the squeeze flow of such layers and find that the amount of viscous dissipation determines how much fluid remains in the contact after the kinetic energy of the impacting object is absorbed. For impacts with sufficient amount of kinetic energy, it is possible to completely drain a Newtonian or shear thinning fluid from the contact on a short time scale. Viscoelastic liquids, however, cannot be drained by increasing impact velocity, because of the fluids’ elastic tendency to retract back into the contact after rapid squeezing. This explains why the presence of polymeric fluids can lead to extreme slipperiness of surfaces. Furthermore, we show that all our experimental results agree with the predictions given by hydrodynamic theory applied to the fluid flow in the gap.