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Updated: Jun 10, 2026

A Method to Manipulate Surface Tension of a Liquid Metal via Surface Oxidation and Reduction
Published on: January 26, 2016
Surface tension of liquid metals and alloys--recent developments
1Institut für Materialphysik im Weltraum, German Aerospace Center, DLR, 51147 Cologne, Germany. Ivan.Egry@dlr.de
Abstract:
Surface tension measurements are a central task in the study of surfaces and interfaces. For liquid metals, they are complicated by the high temperatures and the consequently high reactivity characterising these melts. In particular, oxidation of the liquid surface in combination with evaporation phenomena requires a stringent control of the experimental conditions, and an appropriate theoretical treatment. Recently, much progress has been made on both sides. In addition to improving the conventional sessile drop technique, new containerless methods have been developed for surface tension measurements. This paper reviews the experimental progress made in the last few years, and the theoretical framework required for modelling and understanding the relevant physico-chemical surface phenomena.
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