On the Wettability, Encapsulation and Surface Phase Transition in Monotectic Liquid Metallic Systems

Abstract

In the present paper the wettability of a liquid metal by another liquid metal is studied theoretically, based on a recent model on interfacial energies in metallic systems. It appears that in all practical cases the liquid metal with a lower surface tension will perfectly wet (with a zero contact angle) the liquid metal with a higher surface tension practically at any temperature, and therefore will encapsulate it. As a result, the first order surface phase transition will start in monotectic metallic systems at 0 K. The phenomenon of the surface phase transition is considered in some details, based on a recent paper.