Can the Leidenfrost effect be switched off using an electric field?
02/2026
A droplet on a very hot surface can levitate on its own vapor cushion: the Leidenfrost effect, as spectacular as it is puzzling. But could we learn to control it? Could an electric field locally switch off the Leidenfrost state?
This is the focus of the doctoral project “Local cancellation of the Leidenfrost effect assisted by an electrical field”, carried out by Lorena Victoria García, the newest PhD student in the European consortium LeidenForce (Horizon Europe – MSCA Doctoral Network).
Lorena joined the project on January 12, under the supervision of Anne-Laure Biance at Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (France), based at the Institut Lumière Matière, with a planned research stay at the Centre de Recherche Métallurgique (CRM Group) in Liège, Belgium.
A phenomenon that protects… but complicates industrial processes
The Leidenfrost effect occurs when a surface is hot enough for a vapor layer to form between the liquid and its substrate. This layer greatly reduces heat transfer, which can affect industrial processes such as managing heat in hot components or controlling chemical reactions.
Once formed, it is difficult to remove as the liquid no longer contacts the surface and the film regenerates automatically, maintaining the Leidenfrost state. This makes controlling the phenomenon challenging…
Turning the vapor layer into a control tool
The core idea of Lorena’s project is simple but ambitious: if we can act on the vapor film, we can control the Leidenfrost effect itself.
She studies how different levers (electric fields, surface topography, and the introduction of additional gases) affect the film’s stability and dynamics.
The ultimate goal is to understand how the combination of these parameters can be used to turn the vapor layer into a tool for controlling the Leidenfrost effect, allowing local and precise manipulation.
Scientific potential for metallurgical applications
The planned secondment at CRM Group will connect these fundamental questions to situations encountered in metallurgy. In processes like cooling metal parts, an unstable vapor film can block heat transfer or trigger unexpected reactions, making control difficult.
Lorena’s work aims to understand how an electric field can stabilize or locally modify the film, paving the way for a controlled Leidenfrost effect, where heat transfer and chemical reactions could be managed reliably and safely. This research has the potential to reshape how high-temperature processes and surface reactions are handled in industry.
