Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026
07:57
Accurate Determination of the Equilibrium Surface Tension Values with Area Perturbation Tests
Published on: August 30, 2019
Comparison of sessile drop and captive bubble methods on rough homogeneous surfaces: a numerical study
F J Montes Ruiz-Cabello1, M A Rodríguez-Valverde, A Marmur
1Biocolloid and Fluid Physics Group, Department of Applied Physics, University of Granada, Campus de Fuentenueva, E-18071 Granada, Spain.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|June 8, 2011
Summary
This study investigates how surface roughness and chemical heterogeneity affect contact angle measurements using sessile drops and captive bubbles. We found that roughness breaks the symmetry observed with chemical heterogeneity in stick-slip phenomena.
Area of Science:
- Surface Science
- Physical Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Quasi-static sessile drop and captive bubble methods are standard for measuring contact angles on real surfaces.
- Surface properties like chemical heterogeneity and roughness can introduce uncertainty via stick-slip phenomena.
- Previous work by Marmur explored stick-slip effects on heterogeneous surfaces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To extend the understanding of stick-slip phenomena by incorporating surface roughness effects into contact angle measurements.
- To investigate the interplay between surface roughness and chemical heterogeneity in sessile drop and captive bubble methods.
- To determine if the symmetry observed for chemical heterogeneity holds when surface roughness is considered.
Main Methods:
- Utilized quasi-static experimental techniques with sessile drops and captive bubbles.
- Introduced and analyzed the effects of surface roughness in addition to chemical heterogeneity.
- Extended Marmur's theoretical framework for stick-slip phenomena.
Main Results:
- Found that surface roughness significantly impacts advancing and receding contact angle measurements.
- Demonstrated that the symmetry between surface roughness and chemical heterogeneity breaks down under stick-slip conditions.
- Quantified the influence of combined roughness and heterogeneity on measurement uncertainty.
Conclusions:
- Surface roughness is a critical factor that must be accounted for in contact angle measurements, alongside chemical heterogeneity.
- The established symmetry between chemical heterogeneity and roughness effects is not universally applicable, especially in the presence of stick-slip phenomena.
- Accurate surface characterization requires considering both roughness and chemical composition to mitigate measurement uncertainties.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Surface Tension of Fluid
Surface tension is a fundamental property of fluids, occurring at the boundary between a liquid and a gas or between two immiscible liquids. This phenomenon arises from the cohesive forces between molecules at the fluid's surface, creating an effect similar to a stretched elastic membrane. Inside each fluid, molecules are equally attracted in all directions by neighboring molecules, but surface molecules experience a net inward force, resulting in surface tension.
Surface tension varies with...
Surface tension varies with...
01:13Excess Pressure Inside a Drop and a Bubble
The shape of a small drop of liquid can be considered spherical, neglecting the effect of gravity. This drop can further be considered as two equal hemispherical drops put together due to surface tension. The forces acting on the spherical drop are due to the pressure of the liquid inside the drop, the pressure due to air outside the drop, and the force due to the surface tension acting on the two hemispherical drops.