VTT scientists revise the 60-year-old definition of surface tension on solids
2012-02-27
(Press-News.org) Researchers of VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland have shown that surface tension on a solid material is unconnected to the energy required to create a new surface. Consequently, surface tension on a solid does not exist in its conventional meaning.
It is generally believed that an excess surface tension on a solid material exists, in similar manner to that on a liquid. This tension is described by the Shuttleworth equation, which was presented more than 60 years ago and is considered a fundamental equation of surface thermodynamics. It is believed to provide the connection between surface tension and surface energy.
Three years ago, VTT researchers Lasse Makkonen and Kari Kolari, together with British scientist David Bottomley, revealed in the Surface Science journal that the Shuttleworth equation is incompatible with the thermodynamic theory. This was hard to accept by many and provoked a lively discussion in the scientific literature.
Now Lasse Makkonen has shown mathematically that the disputed equation reduces to the definition of mechanical surface stress and has no connection with the energy of creating a new, unstrained surface. Consequently, the excess surface tension suggested by the Shuttleworth equation does not exist. The existence and nature of surface tension on a solid must therefore be sought by molecular dynamics at the surface layer only.
This new finding by Makkonen was published in Scripta Materialia this week. The research was funded by the Academy of Finland.
INFORMATION:
Link to the publication: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359646212000826
Further information:
Lasse Makkonen
Principal Scientist
Tel. +358 20 722 4914
Further information on VTT:
Olli Ernvall, Senior Vice President, Communications
Tel. 358 20 722 6747
olli.ernvall@vtt.fi
www.vtt.fi
VTT - 70 years of technology for business and society
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is a leading multitechnological applied research organization in Northern Europe. VTT creates new technology and science-based innovations in co-operation with domestic and foreign partners. VTT's turnover is EUR 290 million and itspersonnel totals 3,100.
END
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2012-02-27
Cambridge, Mass. - February 27, 2012 - In 2009, when the United States fell into economic recession, greenhouse gas emissions also fell, by 6.59 percent relative to 2008.
In the power sector, however, the recession was not the main cause.
Researchers at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have shown that the primary explanation for the reduction in CO2 emissions from power generation that year was that a decrease in the price of natural gas reduced the industry's reliance on coal.
According to their econometric model, emissions could be cut ...
2012-02-27
No matter how health conscious Californians would like to be, injuries, accidents, and illnesses are a fact of life. These unfortunate mishaps can pop up without a warning and send even the healthiest of people into the emergency room or to a doctor. This has left millions of Californians unsure of where to turn for health coverage for them and their families. In an attempt to make this process just a little bit smoother, the leading provider for health insurance in California, Sofi Insurance, is now offering free consultations to all customers before they make that final ...
2012-02-27
An emerging class of long-lasting flu vaccines could do more than just save people the trouble of an annual flu shot.
Princeton University-based researchers have found that the "universal" vaccine could for the first time allow for the effective, wide-scale prevention of flu by limiting the influenza virus' ability to spread and mutate. Universal, or cross-protective, vaccines — so named for their effectiveness against several flu strains — are being developed in various labs worldwide and some are already in clinical trials.
The researchers recently reported in the ...
2012-02-27
One of the toughest parts about making that first appointment to a new dentist is wondering what is going to happen during the checkup and how much it will cost. New patients may be fearful of expensive procedures or health conditions in their mouth that may cause serious issues down the road. Unfortunately, this has kept many Southern California residents from picking up the phone. This is why the leading West Hollywood cosmetic dentist, Dr. Poneh Ghasri, is now offering a new patient special for dental exam and x-ray that will lead patients to the healthiest smile of ...
2012-02-27
Researchers at the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP), the Museu de la Conca Dellà (MCD) and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) have published this week in the online edition of the journal Cretaceous Research the discovery and description of a turtle from the end of the age of dinosaurs.
Josep Marmi, Angel Lujan, Angel Galobart from ICP, Rodrigo Gaete from MDC, and Violeta and Oms Oriol Riera from UAB have named this new species as Polysternon isonae, in recognition of the municipality of Isona I Conca Dellà (Catalonia, Spain), where the ...
2012-02-27
Contrary to the common perception among physicians that poor people sue doctors more frequently, Ramon L. Jimenez from the Monterey Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Institute and his team demonstrate that socioeconomically disadvantaged patients, in fact, tend to sue physicians less often. Their work suggests that this myth may exist because of subconscious prejudices or stereotypes that affect thinking and decision making without doctors being aware of it - a phenomenon known as unconscious bias. Dr. Jimenez and his colleagues' work is published online in Springer's journal, ...
2012-02-27
Tampa, Fla. (Feb 27, 2012) – Speaking at the Inaugural Annual Conference of the National Academy of Inventors ® (NAI), held Feb. 16-17 at the University of South Florida in Tampa, David Kappos, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, spoke on changes and improvements at the USPTO since he was appointed director by President Barack Obama in August, 2009.
"We're building out a dynamic IT infrastructure and we've been hiring more examiners to aggressively tackle our patent backlog," said Kappos. ...
2012-02-27
Preventing Minnesota Snowmobile Accidents
Now that the snow is finally falling across the region, Minnesotans are tuning up their snowmobiles and heading out on the trails. Before they enjoy this late winter weather, however, safety advocates and St. Paul snowmobile accident attorneys want to remind them of a few snowmobile safety tips.
State snowmobile registrations topped a quarter of a million in 2010. That same year, there were almost half a million certified snowmobile students. With the swell in registrations and certifications, however, there was also an increase ...
2012-02-27
A nationwide study of racioethnic representation between retail employees and their customers finds that mirroring a customer base improves consumer satisfaction and employee productivity – and contributes to nearly $100,000 in annual gains or losses per store.
Analyzing data from 739 outlets of a major U.S. department store, the researchers found that representativeness improved customer satisfaction and increased annual productivity by $625 per employee. Given the study's average sample size of 150 employees per store, such a change amounts to about $94,000 per store, ...
2012-02-27
WASHINGTON – Employees on sick leave with common mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety fully returned to work sooner when therapy deals with work-related problems and how to get back on the job, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.
Employees who received this therapy and returned to work sooner did not suffer adverse effects and showed significant improvement in mental health over the course of one year, according to the article, published online in APA's Journal of Occupational Health Psychology.
"People with ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] VTT scientists revise the 60-year-old definition of surface tension on solids
