Surface and Interfacial Energies of Metals

Abstract

A description in which surfaces are treated as separate phases with a thickness corresponding to a monolayer has been given. It was argued that the surface tension of liquids/solids is a measure of the excess surface energy of the surface atoms relative to the bulk atoms. It has been shown that the surface and interfacial energies depend on thermodynamic properties such as the heat of vaporization and the heat of fusion. Empirically, the following relationships have been found. Liquid Surface Energy=0.132 ΔH vaporization (kJ/mol) solid surface Energy=0.148 ΔH vaporization (kJ/mol) solid/liquid Energy=112 ΔH fusion (kJ/mol) Grain Boundary Energy=1.24 ΔH fusion (kJ/mol)