Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 19, 2025
11:20
Fabrication and Visualization of Capillary Bridges in Slit Pore Geometry
Published on: January 9, 2014
7.0K
Edge Contact Angle, Capillary Condensation, and Meniscus Depinning
Alexandr Malijevský1, Andrew O Parry2
1Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Chemical Technology Prague, Praha 6, 166 28, Czech Republic and The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals, Department of Molecular Modelling, 165 02 Prague, Czech Republic.
Physical Review Letters
|September 24, 2021
Summary
We investigated capillary condensation in confined fluids, revealing two main types: corner filling and meniscus depinning. The aspect ratio of the slit dictates which type occurs, with implications for fluid behavior in confined spaces.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Physical Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Capillary condensation describes fluid behavior in narrow spaces.
- Understanding phase equilibria in confined geometries is crucial for various applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the phase equilibria of a fluid within an open capillary slit.
- To identify and characterize different types of capillary condensation based on geometric parameters.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical analysis of phase equilibria.
- Development of finite-size scaling predictions.
- Microscopic density functional theory simulations.
Main Results:
- Identified two primary capillary condensation types: corner filling and meniscus depinning.
- Demonstrated dependence of condensation type on capillary aspect ratio (L/H).
- Observed suppression of condensation for large contact angles and an additional continuous phase transition.
Conclusions:
- The study elucidates the complex phase behavior of fluids in finite capillary slits.
- Predictions align with theories of wetting and filling transitions.
- Microscopic simulations validate theoretical findings at the molecular level.
Related Concept Videos
01:13Contact Angle
17.2K
When a solid is dipped inside a liquid, the liquid surface becomes curved near the contact. For some solid–liquid interfaces, the liquid is pulled up along the solid, while for others, the liquid surface is convex or depressed near the solid surface. This phenomenon can be explained using the concept of cohesive and adhesive forces.
The adhesive force is the molecular force between molecules of different materials, that is, between the molecules of the solid and the liquid. The cohesive...
The adhesive force is the molecular force between molecules of different materials, that is, between the molecules of the solid and the liquid. The cohesive...
17.2K
02:57Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity
30.6K
Surface Tension
The various IMFs between identical molecules of a substance are examples of cohesive forces. The molecules within a liquid are surrounded by other molecules and are attracted equally in all directions by the cohesive forces within the liquid. However, the molecules on the surface of a liquid are attracted only by about one-half as many molecules. Because of the unbalanced molecular attractions on the surface molecules, liquids contract to form a shape that minimizes the number...
The various IMFs between identical molecules of a substance are examples of cohesive forces. The molecules within a liquid are surrounded by other molecules and are attracted equally in all directions by the cohesive forces within the liquid. However, the molecules on the surface of a liquid are attracted only by about one-half as many molecules. Because of the unbalanced molecular attractions on the surface molecules, liquids contract to form a shape that minimizes the number...
30.6K
01:19Capillarity in Fluid
472
Capillarity describes the movement of liquid in small spaces without external forces acting on it. The capillarity is driven by surface tension and adhesive interactions between the liquid and surrounding solid surfaces. This effect is often seen in narrow tubes, porous materials, and fine particles.
Surface tension is crucial to capillarity. It results from cohesive forces between liquid molecules at the liquid-air boundary, forming a skin that resists external forces. When the capillary tube...
Surface tension is crucial to capillarity. It results from cohesive forces between liquid molecules at the liquid-air boundary, forming a skin that resists external forces. When the capillary tube...
472
01:14Adhesion
42.1K
Adhesion occurs when one type of molecule is attracted to a different molecule. Water exhibits adhesive properties in the presence of polar surfaces, such as glass or cellulose in plants. For instance, when water is poured into a glass, the positively charged hydrogen molecules of water are more attracted to the negatively charged oxygen molecules in the silica than to the oxygen in neighboring water molecules.
Capillary action is a result of water’s adhesive tendencies. When a narrow...
Capillary action is a result of water’s adhesive tendencies. When a narrow...
42.1K
01:18Rise of Liquid in a Capillary Tube
2.5K
When very thin cylindrical tubes, called capillaries, are dipped in a liquid, the liquid rises or falls in the tube compared to the surrounding liquid. This phenomenon is called capillary action. Capillary action occurs due to the combination of two opposing forces: the cohesive forces of the liquid, which cause it to stick to itself and form a rounded shape, and the adhesive forces between the liquid and the walls of the container, which cause the liquid to be attracted to the container walls.
2.5K
01:22Surface Tension of Fluid
667
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...
Surface tension varies...
667