Berlin 2015 – scientific programme
Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help
CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik
CPP 23: Interfaces and Thin Films I (joint session CPP, DS)
CPP 23.4: Talk
Tuesday, March 17, 2015, 10:45–11:00, C 243
Liquid drops on a surface: comparing results from microscopic density functional theory (DFT) with mesoscopic modelling and a method for calculating the binding potential — Adam Hughes1, Uwe Thiele2, and •Andrew Archer1 — 1Department of Mathematical Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, UK — 2Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Theorestische Physik, Wilhelm-Klemm-Str. 9, 48149 Münster, Deutschland
We present a microscopic DFT based method for calculating the binding potential g(h) for a film of liquid on a solid surface, where h is the thickness of the liquid film. The form of g(h) determines whether or not the liquid wets the surface. We study in detail the effect on g(h) of truncating the range of the dispersion forces, both those between the fluid molecules and those between the fluid and wall. We find this can have a significant effect on the form of g(h) and therefore also on whether the liquid is predicted to wet the surface or not. We also calculate density profiles for liquid drops on a surface, using both DFT and also from inputing g(h) into a mesoscopic free energy. Comparing quantities such as the contact angle and the shape of the drops, we find good agreement between the two methods.