Effect of Soluble Oxygen on the Wettability of Solid Oxides by Liquid Silver

Abstract

The surface tensions of liquid Ag-O alloys and the contact angles between liquid Ag-O alloys and solid oxides were measured in Ar+O2 mixture at 1273 K by the sessile drop method. Poly-crystalline alumina, single-crystal alumina and fused quartz were used as the solid oxides. Oxygen is highly surface active and the maximum surface excess of oxygen is 5.8×10−6 mol·m−2. The wettability of polycrystalline alumina, single-crystal alumina and fused quartz byl iquid Ag-O alloys increased with increasing oxygen partial pressure. In the case of fused quartz which was most strongly wetted by liquid Ag-O alloys in high oxygen partial pressure, a reacted layer was observed in the interface. In this layer, metallic Ag particles less than 0.5 μm in size dispersed.