SIMULTANEOUS MEASUREMENT OF CONTACT ANGLES AND WORK OF ADHESION IN METAL CERAMIC SYSTEMS BY THE IMMERSION EMERSION TECHNIQUE

Comprehensive use of the immersion-emersion tensiometric method using a cylinder is proposed allowing simultaneous measurements of surface tension and contact angles in metal-ceramic systems. Tin and lead sapphire systems are investigated. Values measured for the surface tension of these metals are in accordance with that measured by the sessile drop method (σLV(Sn) = 465 ± 5 mJm-2 at 1373 K and σLV(Pb) = 380 ± 5 mJm-2 at 1193K). Young's contact angles are evaluated from measured immersion and emersion contact angles and agree well with advancing contact angle measured by the sessile drop method (for Sn-Al2O3, θY = 122 ° and θa = 122 ° at 1373 K, and for Pb-Al2O3, θY = 121 ° and θa = 117 ° ± 3 at 1193 K). The effect of solid roughness on contact angle measurements is shown to be easily studied in metal-ceramic systems using the tensiometric method. © 1990 Chapman and Hall Ltd.