THE SPREADING OF LAYERED MICRODROPLETS

Systematic investigations of the thickness profiles of spreading microdroplets have been performed using ellipsometric techniques. From these profiles, information on short range interactions and friction processes at the molecular scale should be extracted, provided theoretical models are available. We show that a recent model accounts at least for the main physical features of these systems. However, further theoretical and experimental work is needed for a complete understanding of this molecular scale, which plays a fundamental role in coating and adhesion processes. © 1993 Academic Press. All rights reserved.