Contact angle on heterogeneous surfaces: Weak heterogeneities

Abstract

We investigate the equilibrium merging of a liquid-vapor interface and of a solid surface with a weak and random heterogeneity in the mechanical approximation. To keep a well-posed problem one must introduce an external length as the capillary length in a gravity field or the diameter of a liquid drop. The contact angle hysteresis is much smaller than the surface heterogeneity when this one is small and at random. © 1985.