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MSE 4005: MATERIALS PROCESSING IN THE LIQUID AND

VAPOR STATE

HW VI

1.The surface tension of Al203 is estimated to be 900 erg cm-2. For liquid iron
it is 1,720 erg cm-2 in a vacuum. Under the same conditions the interfacial
liquid iron/alumina energy is 2,300 erg cm-2. Calculate the contact angle.
Will liquid iron wet alumina? What can be done to lower the contact angle?

2. A liquid silicate with surface tension of 500 dyn.cm-1 makes contact with
polycrystalline oxide with an angle =45o on the surface of the oxide. If
mixed with oxide, it forms liquid globules at three-grain intersections. The
average dihedral angle is 90o. If the oxide/oxide interfacial tension is 1,000
dyn.cm-1, compute the surface tension of the oxide.

3. Metal is melted on an Al2O3 plate at high temperature. (a) If the surface

energy of alumina is 1,000 erg cm-2, that of the liquid metal is similar and
the interfacial energy is about 300 erg cm-2, calculate the contact angle; (b) If
the liquid had twice the surface energy of alumina, but the interfacial energy
were half the surface energy of alumina, calculate the contact angle; (c)
Under condition (a) a cermet (a composite material consisting of a metallic
matrix dispersed with a ceramic particulate phase) is formed by mixing 30%
metal powder with Al2O3 and heating above the melting point of the metal.
Sketch the resulting microstructure.

4. At 0oC the solid-liquid interface energy in the ice-water system is 70

erg/cm2, the grain boundary energy is 28 erg/cm2, the liquid surface energy
is 76 erg/cm2, and liquid water completely wets (spreads across) a free ice
surface. (a) What will be the angle of grain boundary etching for
polycrystalline ice submerged in water? (b) Ethanol added to water causes
complete penetration across the grain boundaries and separation of the
grains. How much must alcohol lower the ice-water interfacial energy for
this to occur?