Comments on the Energy Barrier Calculations during “Stick–Slip” Behavior of Evaporating Droplets Containing Nanoparticles

Abstract

The application of three different potential energy barrier equations which were developed by Shanahan and co-workers for the “stick–slip” motion of droplets during evaporation of nanosuspensions to experimental data was investigated, and the results were compared. In theory, these potential energy barrier equations were assumed to be equivalent to each other, and thus the excess Gibbs free energy calculation results should be very close to each other. However, the calculated potential energy barrier results were found to be much different from each other when these equations were applied to two recently published experimental data. The details of the calculation procedures and reasons for these differences in the results are discussed, and eight new slightly modified equations are given in two sets to obtain more reliable, comparable and easily plotted potential energy barrier values.