Abstract
The sessile drop method was used to study the effects of surface finish, heat treatment and cold working on the wettability of solid Cu by liquid Sn. Wettability was evaluated by measuring the angle of contact between the solid and the liquid phases. It was found that electrolytic polishing is better for obtaining good wetting than mechanical polishing. It was also indicated that annealing of solid Cu substracts could promote the wettability depending on the annealing period. Cold working was also found to have an influential effect on the wettability depending on the process and the degree of cold working. (Rolling promotes the wetting by decreasing the value of the contact angle of both mechanically and electrolytically polished Cu substrates, while pressing does not cause a significant effect on the contact angle of the mechanically polished samples but has an influential effect on the contact angle of the electrolytically polished samples). These results were discussed in relation to the crystal orientation and surface energy of the solid Cu substrates.
