HYDROPHOBICITY EFFECTS IN THE CONDENSATION OF WATER FILMS ON QUARTZ

The surface forces of thin water films condensed onto crystalline quartz plates have been investigated by ellipsometric measurements of film thickness as a function of disjoining pressure. Quartz substrates ranging from fully hydroxylated (contact angle - 0°) to completely dehydroxylated (contact angle - 45°) were used and the results obtained related to the theoretically predicted van der Waals and electrostatic forces present in the system. Water films on fully hydroxylated quartz are much thicker than expected, whereas films on fully dehydroxylated quartz are close to the Lifschitz prediction of dispersion forces. As the extent of dehydroxylation decreases, the adsorption isotherm approaches that obtained on fully hydroxylated quartz. © 1990.