Wettability and Surface Forces on Nano- and Micro-meter Scales

Abstract

While the wettability of solid surfaces and pores (adsorption and capillary condensation) is relatively well understood, the force between wetted bodies is still largely elusive. Detailed understanding and exact description of the force between solid surfaces both in vacuum or dry air and in capillary condensed fluids have been a central subject not only in colloid and interface science, but also particle technology and tribology. Deep knowledge of the adhesion phenomena is important, from an industrial point of view, in the process of particulate products such as ceramics, catalysis, and pharmaceuticals, in the manipulation of microdevices and micromachines, and in many operations (e.g., particle filter, fluidized bed, and painting and particulate coating).

In this study, the wettability of solid surfaces and the surface force were investigated computationally by Monte Carlo (MC) and Lattice Boltzmann (LB) simulations and experimentally by atomic force microscopy (AFM).