Article

Effects of geometrical characteristics of surface roughness on droplet wetting.

Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan 106, Republic of China.
The Journal of Chemical Physics (impact factor: 3.33). 01/2008; 127(23):234704. DOI:10.1063/1.2804425 pp.234704
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Surface roughness is known to alter the wettability on a solid substrate. In general, either Wenzel or Cassie-Baxter theory is adopted to describe the apparent contact angle. Following the minimum free energy pathway associated with the imbibition process, we have derived a generalized expression for the apparent contact angle on a textured surface and the liquid-gas contact area within the groove that plays a key role. Depending on the geometrical characteristics of the grooves, the surface wetting falls into three regimes: (i) single stable state which is either Wenzel (completely wetted roughness) or Cassie-Baxter (completely nonwetted roughness) state, (ii) two stable states (Wenzel and Cassie-Baxter) separated by an energy barrier, and (iii) single stable state with partially wetted roughness. The sufficient condition for each regime is derived and several groove geometries are given to show the free energy path. Alteration in the geometric parameters may lead to the wetting crossover. We also show that the Cassie-Baxter can occur at a hydrophilic surface for particular pore shapes.

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Keywords

apparent contact angle
 
Cassie-Baxter
 
Cassie-Baxter theory
 
free energy path
 
generalized expression
 
geometrical characteristics
 
hydrophilic surface
 
liquid-gas contact area
 
minimum free energy pathway
 
nonwetted roughness
 
particular pore shapes
 
regimes
 
solid substrate
 
sufficient condition
 
Surface roughness
 
surface wetting
 
textured surface
 
Wenzel
 
wetted roughness
 

Yu-Jane Sheng