Surfaces and boundaries - KAMA7M14

Goal(s)

Show through some examples and illustrations the important role played by surfaces and interfaces within physical and physicochemical systems.
Describe the structure and morphology of surfaces and interfaces.
Understand the basic concepts that govern the mechanical and physico-chemical equilibrium of systems with interfaces.
Introduction to the physico-chemistry of surfaces and interfaces.
Presentation of the different models and their applications.
Study the properties of wetting and adhesion to interfaces and the special role of surfaces and interfaces in small systems.

Content(s)

Chapter 1: Generalities on surfaces, interfaces and interphases
1- Introduction
2- The surface and its defects
3- Adsorption
4- Simplified expression of the energy associated with the surface of a pure component
5- Interfaces

Chapter 2: Mechanical and physicochemical equilibrium of systems with interfaces
1- Introduction: intuitive approach to surface energy and surface tension
2- Thermodynamic approach to interfacial energy - relationship between interfacial energy and interfacial stress
3- Mechanical equilibrium of a heterogeneous system presenting curved interfaces: Laplace’s law
4- Equilibrium shape of a crystal: Wulf diagram
5- Interfacial energy and segregation

Chapter 3: Wettability and Adhesion - Applications
1- Introduction
2- Wetting equilibrium - Young relation
3- Measurement of the contact angle by the deposited drop method
4- Work on adhesion (Young and Dupré relationship), work on cohesion and immersion
5- Applications: capillary rise - Jurin's law, infiltration kinetics - Washburn relationship
6- Capillarity versus gravity (shape of liquid droplets)
7- Wetting of real surfaces: effects of roughness and heterogeneities
8- Measurement of surface energy
9- Non-reactive wetting, reactive wetting
10- Examples of wetting in different systems
11- Assembly of materials by brazing process

Basic notions of the thermodynamics of solutions and phase equilibria (free energy, free enthalpy, chemical potential, chemical activity, chemical equilibria, phase equilibria diagrams).
Basic notions in materials science and engineering (different classes of materials, microstructures and properties
associated).
Basic notions of crystallography (atomic structure, crystallographic plane and direction, Miller indices).