Search results for "Wetting"
showing 10 items of 235 documents
Molecular Self-Assembly Versus Surface Restructuring During Calcite Dissolution.
2016
Organic additives are known to alter the mineral-water interface in various ways. On the one hand, organic molecules can self assemble into ordered structures wetting the surface. On the other hand, their presence can affect the interfacial morphology, referred to as surface restructuring. Here, we investigate the impact, of a class of calcium-complexing azo dyes on the dissolution of calcite (10.4) using high-resolution atomic force microscopy operated in aqueous solution, with a focus on the two constitutional isomers Eriochrome Black T and Eriochrome Black A. A very pronounced surface restructuring is observed in the presence of the dye solution, irrespective of the specific dye used and…
Reactivity of gypsum faces according to the relative humidity by scanning force microscopy
1997
Abstract This article reports the experimental observation of the stability of the different faces of calcium sulphate dihydrate (gypsum CaSO 4 .2H 2 O) according to the relative humidity. Scanning Force Microscopy experiments were carried out with a view to discerning the topography of the surfaces, the chemical compositional domains, and in an attempt to evaluate the friction and viscoelastic properties of the surface. Our results indicate that the (010) face of gypsum is hydrophilic and very reactive contrary to the less hydrophilic (120) and (101) faces which remain stable depending on the relative humidity. It is clear from our results that a precipitation like process can be induced b…
Phase diagram of polymer blends in confined geometry
2001
Within self-consistent field theory we study the phase behavior of a symmetrical binary AB polymer blend confined into a thin film. The film surfaces interact with the monomers via short range potentials. One surface attracts the A component and the corresponding smei-infinite system exhibits a first order wetting transition. The surface interaction of the opposite surface is varied as to study the crossover from capillary condensation for symmetric surfaces fields to the interface localization/delocalization transition for antisymmetric surface fields. In the former case the phase diagram has a single critical point close to the bulk critical point. In the latter case the phase diagram exh…
Monte Carlo Simulations of Surfaces and Interfaces in Materials
1996
Many applications of materials are controlled by their surface and interface properties. In particular, metallic alloys (but also mixed dielectric materials and amorphous polymer blends) are not homogeneously mixed on a microscopic length scale, although they are macroscopically homogeneous. Depending on the preparation of the sample, there exists a heterophase microstructure, with typical domain sizes, e.g. in the 1 to 102 µm range, separated by interfaces between them. The physical properties of such intrinsic interfaces (grain boundaries between small crystallites, antiphase domain boundaries in ordered alloys, Bloch walls in magnetic materials, etc.) are not only an important controllin…
Effects of finite thickness on interfacial widths in confined thin films of coexisting phases
1999
The capillary broadening of a 2-phase interface is investigated both experimentally and theoretically. When a binary mixture in a thin film with thickness D segregates into two coexisting phases the interface between the two phases may form parallel to the substrate due to preferential surface attraction of one of the components. We show that the interfacial profile (of intrinsic width w0) is broadened due to capillary waves, which lead to fluctuations, of correlation length of the local interface positions in the directions parallel to the confining walls. We postulate that acts as an upper cutoff for the spectrum of capillary waves on the interface, so that the effective mean square inter…
PHASE EQUILIBRIA IN THIN POLYMER FILMS
2001
Within self-consistent field theory and Monte Carlo simulations the phase behavior of a symmetrical binary AB polymer blend confined into a thin film is studied. The film surfaces interact with the monomers via short ranged potentials. One surface attracts the A component and the corresponding semi-infinite system exhibits a first order wetting transition. The surface interaction of the opposite surface is varied as to study the crossover from capillary condensation for symmetric surface fields to interface localization/delocalization transition for antisymmetric surface fields. In the former case the phase diagram has a single critical point close to the bulk critical point. In the latter…
Adhesion and adhesion hysteresis of mica surfaces covered with bola-amphipiles in dry and humid air
1998
Abstract Bola-amphiphiles with spherical hydrophilic chinuclidinium head groups form laterally ordered monolayers on mica by adsorption from solution. To measure the surface adhesion, JKR-type compression/decompression cycles have been performed with the surface forces apparatus (SFA). In an inert atmosphere, the adhesion energy on increasing the contact area is much lower than predicted by wetting experiments. Furthermore, the pronounced adhesion hysteresis varies from sample to sample in a wide range, indicating a defect-rich surface. On increase of the relative humidity (rh), the reproducibility improves and the values for the adhesion energy measured on compression and decompression con…
Influence of Initial Water Content on the Wettability of Autoclaved Soils
2010
Autoclaving is a commonly used practice to destroy microbial activity in soils but is thought to have a limited effect on other soil properties. Small changes in chemical composition have been reported, but there have been no previous reports of any alteration of physical properties. This study, however, showed that autoclaving can cause a major change in soil hydraulic properties. For samples with intermediate water contents (10-35% v/v), it caused severe or extreme water repellency in three of four soil types tested, although no effect for initially low or high water contents was found. These findings have important implications for any experimental work involving soil autoclaving as a pr…
Layered composite based on halloysite and natural polymers: a carrier for the pH controlled release of drugs
2019
We have prepared new biohybrid materials based on halloysite nanotubes and natural polymers (alginate and chitosan) for the controlled and sustained release of bioactive species. A functional nanoarchitecture has been designed allowing us to generate a layered tablet with a chitosan/halloysite nanocomposite film sandwiched between two alginate layers. The assembly of the raw components and the final structure of the hybrid tablet have been highlighted by the morphological and wettability properties of the prepared materials. Since the biohybrid has been designed as a smart carrier, halloysite nanotubes have been first loaded with a model drug (sodium diclofenac). The effect of the tablet th…
Chromatographic Efficiency in Micellar Liquid Chromatography: Should it Be Still a Topic of Concern?
2013
Micellar liquid chromatography (MLC) was first proposed as an attractive alternative to avoid the use of organic solvents. It was soon apparent that pure micellar solutions yield poor efficiencies. This problem was remediated by the addition of a small amount of an organic solvent. However, the general opinion of the poor peak shape has prevailed as a handicap for MLC, in spite of the fact that the hybrid mode often offers similar or even improved efficiencies (for basic compounds) relative to that attained in the hydro-organic mode. Only the efficiencies for apolar non-ionizable compounds are still clearly inferior. This work describes the type of interactions and polarity changes with org…