CHAPTER 3: SURFACE AND INTERFACIAL TENSION

Objective

To measure surface tension using both, the DuNouy ring and the capillary tube methods.

Introduction

In a fluid system, the presence of two or more phases may be observed because of interfaces
between the components. This happens only if the fluids are immiscible (oil/water, water/air,
oil/gas). Figure 3-1 is a sketch of forces occurring in an air/liquid system. The figure shows
molecules of a fluid, which are bonded together by electro-chemical forces. Molecules far from
the interface are equally affected in every direction by the same type of molecules resulting in
zero net force acting upon those molecules.

However, molecules close to the surface are

surrounded by different types of molecules resulting in an unbalanced net force normal to the
surface.

Figure 3-1. Surface Tension (Force Unbalance at Surface)

For liquid/liquid systems the term used to describe these interfacial forces is interfacial
tension. For liquid/vapor or liquid/air systems the term commonly used is surface tension.
Interfacial tension is the force per unit length required to create a new surface. Interfacial

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tensions ( ) are commonly expressed in dynes per centimeter. Surface Gibbs energy per unit
area has units of ergs per square centimeter. These are identical units (erg=dyne*cm) for . To
understand the concept of interfacial tension, imagine a wire holding a liquid film as shown in
Figure 3-2. If a force (F) is applied to the wire for a distance (d), the liquid will expand creating
two new surfaces (2A) (Beltran-1990).

Figure 3-2. Interfacial Tension - Creating a New Surface

The work per unit area done to the system is W / A 2Fd / A (the coefficient two comes into the
equation since two surfaces are created, one in front and one in the back) and the interfacial
tension is the force applied to the system per distance Fd / A , therefore W / 2 A . The
interfacial tension can be viewed as the energy per unit of area (cohesion work) required to
creating a new surface of liquid.

In this laboratory, the student is asked to measure and compare results for surface tension using
two different methods: (i) capillary tube method and the DuNouy ring method.

Capillary Tube Method

When a capillary tube is wetted by a liquid, the liquid rises in the tube. When the liquid reaches
equilibrium, the downward force of gravity is equal and opposite to the upward capillary force.
Surface tension is calculated using the following equation:

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hrg
................................................................................................................(8-1)
2 cos

where is interfacial tension (dyne/cm), h is the height of the liquid inside the tube (cm), is
the density of the fluid (g/cm), g is acceleration due to gravity (cm/s2), and is the contact
angle, which is the angle between the tube wall and the tangent crossing the liquid curvature at
the point of contact with the tube. It is measured through the liquid (see Figure 3-3). This angle
is known for different simple fluids systems and can often be found in the literature or directly
measure in the laboratory. For air/water and oil/water on glass surface, is approximately 0o.

Figure 3-3. Fluid Rise in Capillary Tubes (Engler-2003)

DuNouy Ring Method

This method uses an iridium wire through which a force is applied to the fluid/fluid interface. It
is equivalent to the experiment shown in Figure 3-2. The force is applied to the interface
creating a new fluid surface till it snaps. The tension given by the apparatus is the interfacial
tension of the system. Figures 3-4 (a) and (b) show the equipment and the working principle of
the device.

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Figure 3-4 (a). Photograph of a DuNuoy Apparatus (Apparatus Manual, Ref. 2)

Figure 3-4 (b). Top View, Cross-Section View, and Operation Mechanism of DuNuoy
Apparatus (Modified from PETR 345L Fall-1999 Manual, Ref. 1)

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Laboratory Experiments

Part1: Capillary Tube Method

Fill a glass cylinder approximately 1/3 full with the liquid to be tested.

Attach a height scale to the capillary tube and insert it (in a rubber stopper) in the
cylinder so that the bottom of the capillary and the scale are submerged.

Use a squeeze bulb to displace the capillary meniscus up, and then allow it to come to
equilibrium.

Use the scale to record the height of the fluid in the tube (between the meniscus and the
fluid level in the cylinder).

Measure the fluid density (Pycnometer).

The acceleration of gravity must be corrected by latitude and altitude. The latitude
gravity corrected in Socorro (34oN) is 979.652cm/s2 and the altitude correction is
0.0003066 cm/s2.

Part 2: DuNuoy Ring Method

Clean the platinum-iridium ring by rinsing it with acetone and passing it through a
Bunser burner flame.

Attach the clean ring to the hook at the end of the lever arm.

Place the vessel containing the fluid sample beneath the ring on the adjustable platform of
the instrument.

With the apparatus adjusted so that the ring system is in its zero position when the ring is
dry and the scale reading is zero, raise the platform until the liquid makes contact with
the ring.

Slowly lower the platform, by means of the platform adjusting screw, and increase the
torsion of the wire simultaneously, proportioning these two adjustments so that the
torsion arm remains exactly in its zero position.

As the film adhering to the ring approaches to the breaking point proceed more slowly
with the adjustments to make certain that the moving system is in its zero position when
the rupture occurs.

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The scale reading at which the ring detaches from the fluid is the surface tension of the
fluid.

References

1. Petroleum and Chemical Engineering Department, PETR 345 Lab Manual. Fall 1999.
2. CSC Scientific Company INC., DuNuoy Tensiometers, Bulletin 102, Surface Tensiometer
NO. 70530.
3. Engler, T.W., Fluid Flow in Porous Media Notes of Class Petroleum Engineering 524
Fall 2003.
4. Beltran, R., Introduccion a la Mecanica de Fluidos, McGraw-Hill, Bogot, Colombia (1990).

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