Work of Adhesion of a Sessile Drop to a Clean Surface

According to the Young-Dupré equation, as interpreted by Bangham and Razouk, the work of adhesion of a sessile drop to a smooth solid surface is given by WS(V)L = gammaL (1 + cos θ), where θ is the equilibrium contact angle measured at equilibrium of the system with the saturated vapor of the liquid, and WS(V)L is the work of adhesion of that drop to the solid surface which is in equilibrium with that vapor and may contain an adlayer of the vapor. For calculation of WSL, the work of adhesion of a sessile drop to a clean solid surface, the equation WSL = gammaL (1 + cos θ) + Pie is generally used (although Bangham and Razouk never proposed it). Pie is the negative of the free energy of formation of the adlayer, sometimes called the spreading pressure. In the present work it is shown that the latter equation cannot be accurate. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.