Fluid dynamics and dissolution kinetics in immiscible organic systems with dispersed droplets

This article deals with laboratory studies and numerical simulations of dissolution phenomena in partially miscible liquids. The peculiar behaviour of stable and unstable convection that is produced when a liquid droplet dissolves in a surrounding liquid is investigated by means of non-invasive optical techniques. Numerical computations are used to capture additional insights into the physics of the problem as well as to discern the role played by buoyancy forces, surface tension effects and the interaction of both in determining dissolution kinetics and instability mechanisms.