Nonlinear drainage of some non-Newtonian free films

In the present work we apply the generalized lubrication approach (including inertial, viscous, capillary and van-der-Waals forces) to study the dynamics of a free thin film of a non-Newtonian fluid, whose viscosity is described by the Power law and Carreau models. For planar films with fully mobile surfaces, this approach leads to a system of two nonlinear PDE for the film thickness and lateral velocity. This system is solved numerically in the case of laterally bounded free films. The calculations of the film shape and velocity are presented using data of some real liquids: blood and aqueous solution of 0.5% hydroxyethylcellulose. It is shown that the Power law model predicts a very different viscosity to the Carreau model viscosity, although that the film profiles are not very different for all film wetting angles.