Phenomenon · phenomenon:marangoni-effect

Marangoni effect

A gradient of surface tension along a liquid interface exerts a tangential stress that drives bulk flow. Temperature or composition gradients along the surface are the usual causes.

Fluid mechanicsfirst reported 1865also: surface-tension-gradient-driven flow, thermocapillary flow, solutocapillary flow, thermocapillary, solutocapillary, destillocapillarity, thermal Marangoni, thermal Marangoni effect

Atlas record: 9 claims reference this phenomenon — 4 established, 3 demonstrated, 1 replicated and 1 theoretically predicted.

Explorerelations · matrix context · routes · sources · cite

conditions: liquid

9claims121enumerated routes3routes with complete-composition evidence29candidate routes not searched6cited sources

Relations

drives · 2

Surface energy difference—drives→Marangoni effectestablished

a gradient of surface tension along a free liquid interface, from composition (solutocapillary) or temperature (thermocapillary)

Temperature gradient—drives→Marangoni effectestablished

thermocapillary case: surface tension falls with temperature, so a temperature gradient along the interface drives flow toward the cold side

produces · 4

Marangoni effect—produces→Mechanical motionreplicated

a floating or interface-bound body whose asymmetry (shape, or where it emits a surfactant or absorbs heat) leaves a net surface-tension force or torque on it
the body must be free to move on the interface; a rigid wall only sets up a flow

Two independent groups: thermocapillary microgears (Maggi et al. 2015, light-heated, up to 300 r.p.m.) and solutocapillary camphor rotors carrying magnets past a coil (Frenkel et al. 2019, 10–20 h). Distinct from Marangoni flow turning a rotor: here the Marangoni stress acts on the moving body directly.

Marangoni effect—produces→Fluid flowestablished

Marangoni effect—produces→Fluid flowdemonstrated

thermocapillary pumping of a liquid plug or droplet confined in a microchannel; the surface-tension gradient translates the plug rather than producing only local interfacial circulation

Thermocapillary pumping (TCP) of a discrete droplet in a closed microchannel: the plug's displacement and velocity were measured on the PZT device of Odukoya & Naterer 2013 and in their 2010 experiments. The confined translating plug is bulk, loadable flow; that fact must not leak onto open-surface Marangoni circulation, which keeps its own claim and tokens.

Marangoni effect—produces→Pressure gradienttheoretically predicted

a thermocapillary-driven liquid plug moves in a closed-ended microchannel and compresses the trapped gas; the pressure rise is the load presented to the compliant membrane

Kept below demonstrated: the Odukoya device measured heater and droplet behaviour, while the pressure field feeding the membrane (about 0.1 kPa for a 13 μm deflection in the model) comes from the force balance, not a measurement.

member of · 1

Marangoni effect—member of→Marangoniestablished

implemented by · 2

Marangoni effect—implemented by→Thermocapillary micromotordemonstrated

Marangoni effect—implemented by→Marangoni rotor mini-generatordemonstrated

Matrix context

D = disequilibrium row · C = coupling family column. A cell reads the state of the atlas for that pair.

D.15 × C.34 · Surface energy difference × Marangoni · Established D.01 × C.34 · Temperature gradient × Marangoni · Established

family: Marangoni (C.34)

Enumerated routes through this · 121 (showing 24)

Thermocapillary micromotor3/3 est · demonstrated
Solutocapillary Marangoni rotor3/3 est · demonstrated
Marangoni rotor mini-generator5/5 est · demonstrated
Temperature gradient → Marangoni effect → Mechanical motion → Electromagnetic induction → Charge carriers → Electrical work5/5 est · extends a recorded pathway
Temperature gradient → Marangoni effect → Mechanical motion → Rotating-machine generator action → Charge carriers → Electrical work5/5 est · candidate
Temperature gradient → Marangoni effect → Fluid flow → Aerodynamic and hydrodynamic lift → Mechanical motion → Mechanical work5/5 est · unresolved handoff
Thermocapillary streaming-potential generator (proposed)5/5 est · candidate
Temperature gradient → Marangoni effect → Fluid flow → Aerodynamic and hydrodynamic lift → Mechanical motion → Mechanical work4/5 est · candidate
Temperature gradient → Marangoni effect → Fluid flow → Streaming potential → Ionic current → Electrical work4/5 est · candidate
Temperature gradient → Marangoni effect → Pressure gradient → Aerodynamic and hydrodynamic lift → Mechanical motion → Mechanical work4/5 est · weakly supported
Temperature gradient → Marangoni effect → Pressure gradient → Streaming potential → Ionic current → Electrical work4/5 est · weakly supported
Chemical potential difference → Combustion → Temperature gradient → Marangoni effect → Mechanical motion → Mechanical work5/5 est · extends a recorded pathway
Electric potential difference → Peltier effect → Temperature gradient → Marangoni effect → Mechanical motion → Mechanical work5/5 est · extends a recorded pathway
Electric potential difference → Ettingshausen effect → Temperature gradient → Marangoni effect → Mechanical motion → Mechanical work5/5 est · extends a recorded pathway
Incident radiation flux → Photothermal absorption → Temperature gradient → Marangoni effect → Mechanical motion → Mechanical work5/5 est · extends a recorded pathway
Radiative imbalance with the sky → Radiative sky cooling → Temperature gradient → Marangoni effect → Mechanical motion → Mechanical work5/5 est · extends a recorded pathway
Surface energy difference → Marangoni effect → Mechanical motion → Rotating-machine generator action → Charge carriers → Electrical work5/5 est · candidate
Surface energy difference → Marangoni effect → Fluid flow → Aerodynamic and hydrodynamic lift → Mechanical motion → Mechanical work5/5 est · unresolved handoff
Solutocapillary streaming-potential generator (proposed)5/5 est · candidate
Surface energy difference → Marangoni effect → Fluid flow → Aerodynamic and hydrodynamic lift → Mechanical motion → Mechanical work4/5 est · candidate
Surface energy difference → Marangoni effect → Fluid flow → Streaming potential → Ionic current → Electrical work4/5 est · candidate
Surface energy difference → Marangoni effect → Pressure gradient → Aerodynamic and hydrodynamic lift → Mechanical motion → Mechanical work4/5 est · weakly supported
Surface energy difference → Marangoni effect → Pressure gradient → Streaming potential → Ionic current → Electrical work4/5 est · weakly supported
Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Marangoni effect → Mechanical motion → Mechanical work5/5 est · extends a recorded pathway

Cited sources · 6

[1]
C. Maggi et al.. Micromotors with asymmetric shape that efficiently convert light into work by thermocapillary effects (2015)
Nature Communications 6, 7855 · doi:10.1038/ncomms8855 · record
[2]
M. Frenkel et al.. Mini-Generator of Electrical Power Exploiting the Marangoni Flow Inspired Self-Propulsion (2019)
ACS Omega 4, 15265–15268 · doi:10.1021/acsomega.9b02257 · record
[3]
L. E. Scriven, C. V. Sternling. The Marangoni Effects (1960)
Nature 187, 186-188 · doi:10.1038/187186a0 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-20 · record
[4]
Q. Dai et al.. Directional interfacial motion of liquids: Fundamentals, evaluations, and manipulation strategies (2021)
Tribology International 154, 106749 · doi:10.1016/j.triboint.2020.106749 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-20 · record
[5]
P. S. Glockner, G. F. Naterer. Surface tension and frictional resistance of thermocapillary pumping in a closed microchannel (2006)
International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer 49(23–24), 4424–4436 · doi:10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2006.05.005 · record
[6]
A. Odukoya, G. F. Naterer. Transient response of thermocapillary pumping of a droplet in a micro heat engine (2013)
International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer 58, 202–212 · doi:10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2012.11.009 · record

Cite this entity

Physical Transformation Atlas (2026). entity phenomenon:marangoni-effect: Marangoni effect. Dataset revision rbfbfcbb70e57 (hash of the canonical data). https://physical-transformation-atlas.wldud5192.workers.dev/phenomenon/marangoni-effect

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