Apparent and Microscopic Contact Angles

This book chronicles the proceedings of the International Symposium on Apparent and Microscopic Contact Angles, held in conjunction with the American Chemical Society meeting in Boston, August 24--27, 1998.

The symposium provided an opportunity to discuss several controversial issues associated with interfacial phenomena that govern the behavior of the three-phase systems. This volume contains 28 papers --- previously published in 3 issues of the Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology.

The book is divided into four parts: Nanoscopic and Molecular Effects on Contact Angles; Surface Forces and Surface Free Energy; Wetting of Heterogeneous, Rough and Curved Surfaces; Dynamic Effects in Contact Angle Measurements. Among the topics covered are: contact line tension measurement; liquid drop surface topography; molecular mechanisms of hydrophobic transitions; stereochemical and conformational aspects of polymer surfaces; determination of acid-base properties of metal oxides and polymers by contact angle measurement; van Oss--Good theory of acid-base surface free energies; AFM measurement of forces; thin liquid films; wettability of flat and curved surfaces; contact angle hysteresis; factors affecting contact angle meassurements; dynamic wetting behavior; and effect of surfactants on wetting.