Spreading of a fluid phase on a spherical surface

The adsorption between a liquid drop and a micro-particle in an air or an air bubble and a micro-particle in water is dominated by liquid–solid or air–solid interfacial tension and wetting area of the liquid or air on the particle surface. The wetting area is determined by the spreading of the liquid drop or the bubble on the micro-particle. To explore this spreading, a wetting model of a fluid phase on a spherical particle was built. According to the theoretical results, the contact angle is constant when a fluid phase spreads on a spherical solid surface; the micro-particle can not submerge under a fluid when only interfacial tensions are involved and the wetting is not a complete wetting. The corresponding experiments were performed to confirm the theoretical results.

Graphical abstractThis figure depicts the spreading of a fluid phase on a spherical surface with the increase of the fluid. When the three-phase contact line arrives at the limiting position, radius of the spherical fluid phase is infinite..Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload high-quality image (23 K)Download as PowerPoint slideHighlights► The contact angle of a fluid phase on a spherical surface is equal to Young contact angle. ► The three-phase contact line will approach a limit position with the spreading. ► A micro particle always “floats” on a fluid plane if its Young contact angle is not zero.