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Capillarity in Fluid

Capillarity in Fluid

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, Capillary Action, and Viscosity

Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity

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...

Contact Angle

Contact Angle

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...

Rise of Liquid in a Capillary Tube

Rise of Liquid in a Capillary Tube

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.

Hydrostatic Pressure Force on a Curved Surface

Hydrostatic Pressure Force on a Curved Surface

Hydrostatic pressure on curved surfaces is a fundamental concept in fluid mechanics with broad applications in the civil engineering field. When fluid is in contact with a curved surface, as in a reservoir, dam, or storage tank, it exerts pressure that varies in magnitude and direction along the curved surface. To assess the total hydrostatic force exerted by the fluid on a curved structure, engineers typically isolate the fluid volume adjacent to the surface and analyze the forces acting on...

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Related Experiment Video

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Microtensiometer for Confocal Microscopy Visualization of Dynamic Interfaces

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Published on: September 9, 2022

Modulation of the Capillary Force Profile at the Solid-Solid Interface through Topographical Modifications.

Anubha Jaiswal¹

¹Department of Physics, IIT (BHU), Varanasi 221005, UP , India.

Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids

|September 4, 2023

Summary

This study demonstrates that specific surface topographies, like nanopillars, can significantly reduce capillary adhesion between solid surfaces. This finding is crucial for developing dust-resistant materials and controlling interfacial forces.

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Surface Engineering
Nanotechnology

Background:

Interfacial adhesion at solid-solid contacts is critical in numerous applications.
Capillary adhesion, driven by moisture, is a significant challenge in maintaining clean surfaces.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a model for predicting capillary forces at solid-solid interfaces.
To investigate physical modifications for mitigating capillary adhesion using surface topography.
To assess the effectiveness of nanopillars and nanowells in reducing adhesion.

Main Methods:

Developed and validated a continuum boundary element-based mathematical model for capillary forces.
Simulated capillary adhesion between glass substrates with varied topographies (nanopillars, nanowells) and silica particles.
Analyzed the impact of particle size and humidity on adhesion forces.

Main Results:

Nanopillar surface topography proved highly effective in suppressing capillary condensation compared to nanowells.
Capillary forces were reduced by over an order of magnitude for micro- and nanoscale particles.
Surface topography significantly influences interfacial adhesion and dust resistance.

Conclusions:

Topographical tuning of solid surfaces offers a viable strategy to drastically reduce interfacial capillary adhesion.
This approach can enhance dust-resistance characteristics of materials.
Simulation results can guide the fabrication of surfaces with optimized topography for reduced adhesion.