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Updated: Oct 16, 2025

Microtensiometer for Confocal Microscopy Visualization of Dynamic Interfaces
Published on: September 9, 2022
Influence of Relative Humidity on Interparticle Capillary Adhesion
Lidong Liu1, Kai-Tak Wan2, Kuo-Kang Liu1
1School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Library Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K.
Abstract:
A homemade instrument is designed to directly characterize the adhesion between two rigid polymeric microspheres in the presence of moist air. The tensile load is measured as a function of approach distance at designated relative humidity (RH). The measurement is consistent with our model from the first approximation. The model is further extended to include a rough surface. Capillary adhesion force is shown to be monotonically increasing with RH for smooth surfaces but becomes more pronounced at low RH for rough surfaces. Moisture has a profound influence on interparticle adhesion, which has significant impacts on a wide range of industrial applications.
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