New method for the measurement of line tensions at the solid/liquid/air three-phase contact line

Abstract

A recently reported method for the determination of contact angles of small monodisperse spherical particles with liquid/vapour interfaces has been extended for the measurement of line tensions of the solid/liquid/air contact line. The method involves compressing monolayers of particles on a liquid substrate in a Langmuir trough to obtain surface pressures at the point of monolayer collapse.