Principal curvatures, polymer surface

For polymers interfacial and surface tensions are more practically obtainable from analysing the shapes of pendant or sessile drops or bubbles, all of which are examples of axisymmetrical drops. Bubbles may be used to obtain surface tensions at liquid/vapour interfaces over a range of temperatures and for vapours other than air. Drops can also be used to obtain vapour/liquid surface tensions but they are particularly suited to determination of liquid/liquid interfacial tensions, for example for polymer/polymer interfaces. All the methods are based on the application of equation (2.2.1). The principles are illustrated in figure 2.4, in which a sessile drop is used as the specific example. Just like for the capillary meniscus, the drop has two principal radii of curvature, R in the plane of the axis of symmetry and / 2 normal to the plane of the paper. At the apex, O, the drop is spherically symmetrical and R = Rz = b and equation (2.2.12) becomes... 

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