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The effect of solid surface heterogeneity and roughness on the contact angle/drop (bubble) size relationship

Journal Article · · Journal of Colloid and Interface Science; (United States)
;  [1]
  1. Univ. of Utah, Lake City, UT (United States). Dept. of Metallurgical Engineering

The contact angle for varying sizes of drops and air bubbles was measured on clean, heterogeneous, and rough solid surfaces. A linear correlation of the cosine of the contact angle vs reciprocal of the drop (bubble) base radius was obtained for the tetradecane/water/quartz and air/water/polyethylene systems, in which pure single-component liquids and freshly prepared clean solid surfaces were used. It was found that solid surface imperfections, heterogeneity and/or roughness, affect the contact angle /drop (bubble) size relationship. The change in contact angle with bubble size depended on the extent of solid surface heterogeneity, as was observed for the tetradecane/water/methylated quartz system with varying degrees of quartz methylation. For the air/water/polyethylene and air/water/gold systems, it was found that the slope of a plot of cos [theta] vs 1/r increased for rough surfaces when compared to that for smooth surfaces, and that these experimental data qualitatively support the modified Wenzel equation which includes the line-tension term.

DOE Contract Number:
FC21-89MC26268
OSTI ID:
7072273
Journal Information:
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Colloid and Interface Science; (United States) Vol. 164:1; ISSN 0021-9797; ISSN JCISA5
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English