Adsorption of fluids on solid surfaces: A route toward very dense layers

Adsorption of Xe on single planar walls is investigated in the frame of a density functional theory. The strength of the adsorbate-substrate attraction is changed by considering surfaces of Cs, Na, Li, and Mg. The behavior is analyzed by varying the temperature T (between the triple point T_t and the critical T_c) and the coverage Γ_?${\Gamma }_{?}$. The obtained adsorption isotherms exhibit a variety of wetting situations. Density profiles are reported. It is shown that for strongly attractive surfaces the adsorbed liquid becomes very dense reaching densities characteristic of solids.     

Wetting mode transition of nanoliter scale water droplets during evaporation on superhydrophobic surfaces with random roughness structure

During evaporation, shape changes of nanoliter-scale (80-100 nL) water droplets were evaluated on two superhydrophobic surfaces with different random roughness (nm-coating, μm-coating). The square of the contact radius and the square of the droplet height decreased linearly with evaporation time. However, trend changes were observed at around 170 s (nm-coating) and around 150 s (μm-coating) suggesting a wetting mode transition. The calculated droplet radii for the wetting mode transition from the average roughness distance and the average roughness height of these surface structures were approximately equal to the experimental values at these trend changes. A certain level of correlation between the roughness size and droplet radius at the wetting mode transition was confirmed on surfaces with random roughness.     

A New Method for Calculating Two-Phase Relative Permeability from Resistivity Data in Porous Media

Many resistivity data from laboratory measurements and well logging are available. Papers on the relationship between resistivity and relative permeability have been few. To this end, a new method was developed to infer two-phase relative permeability from the resistivity data in a consolidated porous medium. It was found that the wetting phase relative permeability is inversely proportional to the resistivity index of a porous medium. The proposed model was verified using the experimental data in different rocks (Berea, Boise sandstone, and limestone) at different temperatures up to 300°F. The results demonstrated that the oil and water relative permeabilities calculated from the experimental resistivity data by using the model proposed in this article were close to those calculated from the capillary pressure data in the rock samples with different porosities and permeabilities. The results demonstrated that the proposed approach to calculating two-phase relative permeability from resistivity data works satisfactorily in the cases studied.     

Gels at interfaces

We discuss the adsorption of polymer gels on flat surfaces. Even in cases of complete wetting where the spreading power S is positive and where an equivalent liquid would spread, the elastic stresses due to the gel deformation upon adsorption oppose the spreading. The competition between elasticity characterized by the bulk shear modulus G and capillarity characterized by the spreading power S defines a typical length scale ℓ = S/G for the deformation in the gel. For loose gels ℓ can be of the order of 1 μm. Macroscopic gels larger than ℓ deform only at their edges over a region of size ℓ. Microscopic gels smaller than ℓ show a finite deformation despite the elastic stresses. The elastic stresses limit the spreading of the polymer, but solvent can be sucked out of a swollen gel by wetting the surface. The thin solvent film can extend rather far from the gel edge and carry solvent. We calculate the kinetics of the solvent film formation and of the solvent transfer from a more swollen gel to a less swollen gel. Received 16 July 2001     

Wetting process of electrolyte in high density Cu/Sn micro-bumps electrodepositing

Wetting process of electrolyte in high density Cu/Sn micro-bumps electrodepositing is reported in this paper. Three methods were adopted to enable electrolyte to permeate photo-etching micro-holes with high aspect ratio, including plasma treatment, adding wetting additive in electrolyte and mechanical action. Wettability of the samples with electrolyte was improved by the first two methods, according to contact angle and surface tension measurement. However, electrolyte still cannot reach up to the bottom of micro-hole. And then, electrolyte was subjected to mechanical action, including agitation and ultrasonic vibration. Under mechanical action, void free Cu/Sn micro-bumps fabrication was achieved in photo-etching micro-holes with depth of 60 μm and radius of 30 μm. At last, we proposed a model to show wetting process of electrolyte in photo-etching micro-holes.     

The application of the Wilhelmy balance to the measurement of electrocapillary effects in molten carbonate

In this work, the Wilhelmy method is shown to be very suitable for studying electrocapillary effects in molten salts. Unlike the optical methods usually used this method, can easily be used in automated set-ups. High accuracies of 0.3° in the contact angle were easily obtained. First experiments are reported on the electrocapillary effect on gold in molten carbonate under air. Small changes of 4° to 8° in the contact angle were found for potential excursions of –300 mV. At 650 °C a value of 65 ± 1° was obtained at Open Cell Voltage (OCV) which is in good accordance with the values found by Mugikura et al. and Matsumura et al. The wetting of gold by carbonate decreased at higher temperatures. In the literature, both positive and negative temperature effects have been reported, obtained in different gas atmospheres. Possibly the sign depends on the gas atmosphere used. However, this discrepancy can also be caused by differences in the characteristics of the gold surface used in the different studies. Received: 23 October 1997 / Accepted: 4 December 1997     

A meniscus where three phases coexist at equilibrium: Microscopic derivation of the Herring relations

The geometrical characteristics of a meniscus between two phases are studied. In particular, the behavior of the contact angles as a function of the temperature is derived for SOS-type models. A microscopic derivation of the Herring relations is given within a continuuous Gaussian model.     

Contact angle hysteresis on nano-structured surfaces

We present results from an experimental study on the phenomenon of contact angle hysteresis on solid surfaces decorated by a random array of nanometric hollows. For weak values of the areal density of defects φ_d, the hysteresis H increases linearly with φ_d. This evolution is described by a pinning–depinning process of the contact line by individual defects. At higher values of φ_d, a collective pinning effect appears and H decreases with increasing φ_d. In the linear regime, our experimental results are compared to theoretical predictions for contact angle hysteresis induced by a single isolated defect on the solid surface. We suggest that the crossover from the individual to the collective pinning effects could be interpreted in terms of an overlapping of wetting cross sections. Finally, we analyse the influence of both the size and the morphology (hollows/hillocks) of defects on the anchorage of the contact line.     

The influence of pore wettability on the dynamics of imbibition and drainage

Using large-scale molecular-dynamic (MD) simulations, we have shown previously that the classical Lucas–Washburn equation commonly employed to describe capillary imbibition and drainage should be modified to include dynamic contact-angle effects. In addition, we have demonstrated how these effects can be accounted for using the molecular-kinetic theory of dynamic wetting. In a further publication, we presented theoretical arguments and experimental evidence that the velocity of wetting depends on the intrinsic wettability of the solid surface in such a way that there exists an optimum contact angle at which the velocity of wetting is a maximum. Here, we combine these ideas to show how the maximum speeds of capillary imbibition and drainage are affected both by the pore wettability and the pressures used to drive capillary displacement. In particular, we introduce the concept of dynamic wetting transitions (DWTs) and discuss how these limit displacement efficiency and can be manipulated by controlling pore wettability. The results of this work may be beneficial in optimising the performance of capillary processes such as those involved in oil recovery.     

Ice formation on kaolinite: Lattice match or amphoterism?

The long-standing belief that kaolinite is one of the most efficient natural ice nucleating agents because it provides a close lattice match to the basal plane of ice is called into question. Instead we show through an extensive series of first principles calculations that amphoterism is key to many of the interesting properties of kaolinite with regard to water adsorption and ice nucleation.