Adhesion and Wetting of Liquid/Metal Interfaces

The wetting of a liquid on a substrate is often modeled using Young’s equation. This states that the wetting angle is determined by the surface energy of the substrate, the surface tension of the liquid, and the liquid/substrate interfacial energy, phenomena which are temperature and composition dependent. Young’s equation is based on continuum assumptions, and so open questions remain regarding the length scale at which these assumptions break down. In this work we consider the validity of Young’s equation at the nanoscale through the use of interfacial thermodynamics and molecular dynamics simulations of a liquid metal alloy on a metallic substrate. In addition, we consider the impact of compositional effects within the liquid metal alloy on wetting.