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Surface and Interface Chemistry Solid/liquid Interface: Valentim M. B. Nunes Engineering Unit of IPT 2014

This document discusses wetting and dewetting phenomena at solid/liquid interfaces. It provides examples of wetting like rain droplets on leaves and describes how surfactants can promote the displacement of air by liquid on a surface. The key concepts of spreading, immersion, adhesion, and flotation are defined. Detergents are described as using surfactants to remove dirt from surfaces by reducing surface tension and contact angles. Adsorption of solutions is also briefly covered.

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52 views21 pages

Surface and Interface Chemistry Solid/liquid Interface: Valentim M. B. Nunes Engineering Unit of IPT 2014

This document discusses wetting and dewetting phenomena at solid/liquid interfaces. It provides examples of wetting like rain droplets on leaves and describes how surfactants can promote the displacement of air by liquid on a surface. The key concepts of spreading, immersion, adhesion, and flotation are defined. Detergents are described as using surfactants to remove dirt from surfaces by reducing surface tension and contact angles. Adsorption of solutions is also briefly covered.

Uploaded by

Kevin Cárdenas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Surface and Interface Chemistry


Solid/liquid Interface
Valentim M. B. Nunes
Engineering Unit of IPT
2014
Wetting and dewetting phenomena are all around us. The formation of rain
droplets sitting on a plant or hanging from a spiders web provide familiar
examples for dewetting.

On the other hand, spreading of paint and adhesives on solid surfaces or the
application of cosmetics onto the human skin rely on the wetting properties
for this liquids.

In fact, you could not read these lines without the tear films
which wet your eyes and which are stabilized by the closure of
your eyelids.
The wetting of a surface usually involves the displacement of a
gas (usually air) for a liquid at the solid surface. A surfactant has
wetting power when it promotes this effect.

Wetting

Spreading Immersion Adhesion


Spreading
A liquid spreads in a solid surface increasing the SL and LG
interfacial area and decreasing the SG interface.

S   S    SL   L  S0
If S < 0 the liquid forms drops with a contact angle, defined by
the equation of Young :

 S   SL   L cos 
Immersion

In the complete immersion of a solid into a liquid, the LG


interfacial area remains unchanged.

If SG > SL,  < 90º - the process is spontaneous.


If SG < SL,  > 90º - It is necessary to perform work in order to
emerge the solid.
Adhesion
Dupré’s W       SL
a S L
Equation:
Combining with the Young’s equation we obtain:

Wa   L 1 cos  
Water in Glass  = 0º Wa = 2L = Wc
Water in Paraffin  = 110º -
Mercury in Glass  = 140º -
The wetting of an hydrophobic solid surface by a aqueous
solution is favored by the addition of surfactants: Wa increases
and L decreases, then  decreases.

Surfactants, particularly anionic, are used as wetting agents in


many situations. For instance in the textile industry to obtain
results in processes such as bleaching, inking, etc.
Flotation
The fluctuation of a solid in a liquid surface depends on the
contact angle θ which can be modified by factors such as adding
oil to the surface, surfactants, etc.
Treatment of ore by flotation

The ore is crushed, and mixed with water, to which is added an


oil. This will adsorb to the surface of ore, which causes the
increase in the contact angle of the SLG interface. Other particles
remain wet by water.

The molecules of oil (oil collector) are amphyphylic, creating a


hydrophobic surface. It is then added a sparkling agent and
forced air into the bottom of the vessel. The particles adhering
to the air bubbles comes to the surface, where they are
collected rich in metal (see figure)
Wet particles
air
air

Water

Particles of ore
non wetted
air

For the method to be effective the contact angle should be


between 50 to 75°. This method is also used for example in the
treatment of effluents.
Detergents effects
Detergency consists in removing dirt from solid surfaces by
means of surfactants, consisting in the main application of this
kind of materials.

For centuries it was used the SOAP:


A good detergent should comply with the following
characteristics :
•Good wetting power to come into contact with the surface
•Ability to remove dirt into the interior of the liquid
•Ability to solubilize the dirt
The proper formulation is dependent on several factors:
•Type of surface: glass, plastic, ceramic, natural fibers,
synthetics, skin, hair, etc.
•Dirt: polar/apolar characteristics, reactivity or chemical
inertness
•Wetting. In clothing, for example, it is necessary to reduce the
surface tension to  40 mNm-1.
Removal of dirt: Designating by O the dirt (of Oil) we have :

WSO = OW + SW - SO

The action of the detergent consists to reduce OW and SW


decreasing the work of adhesion between the Oil and solid
surface.

If the dirt is liquid, the removal is a matter of contact angle. The


addition of detergent lessens the angle of contact on the SOW
interface. If 0 <  < 90° removal is by mechanical means, and if
90° <  < 180° the process involves solubilization.
The best surfactants are those who adsorb in the oil/water and
solid/water interfaces, with better detergents effects. The
adsorption on air/water interface with the consequent decrease
of ϒ is not indication of good performance.
Adsorption from solutions

This is a topic with plenty of application in numerous processes,


as in chromatography, clarification of solutions by the addition of
activated carbon, etc.

The adsorption from solutions is more simple to study than the


adsorption of gases on solids. Simply mix the solid with the
solution until we observe the variation in the concentration of the
solution. This way we obtain apparent adsorption isotherms,
since there is a competition between adsorption and
solute/solvent interactions.
The most commonly used equations are Langmuir and
Freundlich equations, modified to:

x x  x / m  max ac
 kc 1/ n

m m 1  ac
Where (x/m) is the amount of adsorbed solute per mass of solid,
c is the equilibrium concentration, a, k and n are constants;
(x/m)max is the monolayer capacity.

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