The main purpose of this thesis is the development of a new methodology of contact angle measurement called ADSA-NA (Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis - No Apex) that analyzes drop shape configurations with no apex. Thus ADSA-NA facilitates contact angle measurements on drops with a capillary protruding into the drop. This development is desirable because the original ADSA has some limitations for contact angle measurement, and there is a need for the improvement of the accuracy of contact angle measurement. To develop ADSA-NA, a new reference point other than the apex and a new set of optimization parameters different from those of ADSA had to be defined. The three main modules of ADSA had also to be modified; the image analysis, the numerical integration of the Laplace equation for generating theoretical curves, and the optimization procedure. It was shown that ADSA-NA significantly enhances the precision of contact angle and surface tension measurements (by at least a factor of 5) compared to those obtained from sessile drops using ADSA. Computational as well as design aspects of ADSA-NA were scrutinized in depth, well beyond the level of scrutiny in the original ADSA. On the computational side, the results obtained from one and the same drop image were compared using different gradient and non-gradient edge detection strategies and different gradient and non-gradient optimization methods. It was found that the difference between the results of different edge detection strategies is minimal. It was also found that all the optimization methods yield the same answer with eight significant figures for one and the same image. The determination of the location of the solid surface in the drop image was also further refined. On the design side, the effect of controllable experimental factors such as drop height and drop volume on the accuracy of surface tension measurement was studied. It was shown that drop height is the dominant experimental factor, and larger drop heights yield lower surface tension errors.

The main purpose of this thesis is the development of a new methodology of contact angle measurement called ADSA-NA (Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis - No Apex) that analyzes drop shape configurations with no apex. Thus ADSA-NA facilitates contact angle measurements on drops with a capillary protruding into the drop. This development is desirable because the original ADSA has some limitations for contact angle measurement, and there is a need for the improvement of the accuracy of contact angle measurement. To develop ADSA-NA, a new reference point other than the apex and a new set of optimization parameters different from those of ADSA had to be defined. The three main modules of ADSA had also to be modified; the image analysis, the numerical integration of the Laplace equation for generating theoretical curves, and the optimization procedure. It was shown that ADSA-NA significantly enhances the precision of contact angle and surface tension measurements (by at least a factor of 5) compared to those obtained from sessile drops using ADSA. Computational as well as design aspects of ADSA-NA were scrutinized in depth, well beyond the level of scrutiny in the original ADSA. On the computational side, the results obtained from one and the same drop image were compared using different gradient and non-gradient edge detection strategies and different gradient and non-gradient optimization methods. It was found that the difference between the results of different edge detection strategies is minimal. It was also found that all the optimization methods yield the same answer with eight significant figures for one and the same image. The determination of the location of the solid surface in the drop image was also further refined. On the design side, the effect of controllable experimental factors such as drop height and drop volume on the accuracy of surface tension measurement was studied. It was shown that drop height is the dominant experimental factor, and larger drop heights yield lower surface tension errors.

This thesis studies a droplet of ferrofluid impacting a liquid water pool. The ferrofluid is oil-based and therefore immersible in water. The shape of the ferrofluid drop at impact is changed by using an electromagnet underneath the liquid pool. The magnet is turned off by an external trigger just before the drop collides with the liquid pool surface, to stop the magnetic interaction. The prolate or oblate shape of the drop has an influence on the cavity formation and evolution after the impact. The experiments look specifically at the maximum depth and diameter of the cavity, as a function of the drop impact shape for the same impact velocity. This is done over a range of impact velocities. The prolate drops generate deeper cavities than spherical or oblate drops. Furthermore, a study is conducted on the jet formation that occurs during the cavity collapse to investigate the influence of droplet shape on the jet velocity.

Amphiphiles that possess a dual character, hydrophobic and hydrophilic, are employed in many chemical, pharmaceutical and biological applications. Amphiphile molecules that include a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail can easily adsorb at a liquid/vapour interface, to reach to a minimum free energy and hence a most thermodynamically stable state. Surface tension is a key parameter for understanding such behavior of an amphiphile, or a surfactant. This thesis represents a comprehensive study on adsorption and surface tension of slightly volatile, organic amphiphiles in aqueous solution. Although for a vapor-liquid interface, adsorption from both liquid and vapor phases should be considered, they have been almost always considered exclusive of one another. When a volatile surfactant is dissolved in the liquid phase, it also applies a finite partial pressure in the vapor phase. Recently, dynamic surface tension experiments showed that adsorption from both sides of a vapor/liquid interface must be studied simultaneously. It is noted that surface tension phenomena are often dynamic, in particular when the surface under consideration is perturbed. With the newly discovered importance of adsorption from both sides of a vapor/liquid interface, one may have to ask the question: how dynamic surface tension is influenced and responding to the surface perturbation and environment changes, and whether both sides of the interface play a role in surface tension responses. In this research, axisymmetric drop shape analysis-profile (ADSA-P) is used for surface tension measurement. The experiments are performed in a closed chamber where the effects of surfactant concentrations of both liquid and vapor phases on the surface tension can be studied. The partial vapor pressure of surfactant is controlled with an environment solution containing the same surfactant as the sample solution. The environment solution is to facilitate adsorption from the vapor side of the interface by creating a surfactant vapor phase. The effects of surface perturbation, environment condition (i.e., temperature and pressure) and carbon chain length on the surface tension and adsorption kinetics are studied in detail. The surface tension response of 1-octanol aqueous solution to surface area perturbation is investigated. Upon surface compression, the surface tension decreases followed by a gradual increase back to the value prior to compression. On surface expansion, two categories of surface tension response are observed: First, when the change in surface area is smaller than 5%, the behavior similar to that of conventional surfactants is observed. The surface tension increases followed by a gradual decrease back to the value prior to expansion. Second, when the change in surface area is greater than 5%, and the drop concentration is sufficiently larger than the environment concentration, the surface tension initially slightly increases, but after a time delay, it sharply decreases, followed by a gradual increase back to the value prior to expansion. Previous studies showed that at steady-state condition a network of hydrogen bonding between surfactant and water molecules near the surface is created. The unique surface tension response after large expansion might be related to the momentarily destruction of this hydrogen bonding network and gradually making a new one. The effect of temperature on the surface tension and adsorption kinetics of 1-octanol, 1-hexanol and 1-butanol aqueous solutions is studied. The steady-state surface tension is found to decrease upon an increase in temperature, and a linear relationship is observed between them. The modified Langmuir equation of state and the modified kinetic transfer equation are used to model the experimental data of the steady-state and dynamic (time-dependent) surface tension, respectively. The equilibrium constants and adsorption rate constants are evaluated through a minimization procedure for temperatures ranging from 10°C to 35°C. From the steady-state modelling, the equilibrium constants for adsorption from vapor phase and liquid phase are found to increase with temperature. From the dynamic modelling, the adsorption rate constants for adsorption from vapor phase and liquid phase are found to increase with temperature too. The influence of carbon dioxide pressure on the surface tension and adsorption kinetics of the aforementioned surfactant aqueous solutions is investigated. To consider the effect of adsorption/desorption of the two species (surfactant and carbon dioxide) from both sides of a vapor/liquid interface on the surface tension, the modified Langmuir equation of state and the modified kinetic transfer equation are derived. The steady-state and dynamic surface tension data are modelled using the modified Langmuir equation of state and the modified kinetic transfer equation, respectively. The equilibrium constants and adsorption rate constants of surfactant and carbon dioxide are evaluated through a minimization procedure for CO2 pressures ranging from 0 to 690 KPa. From the steady-state modelling, the equilibrium parameters for surfactant and carbon dioxide adsorption from vapor phase and liquid phase are found unchanged for different pressures of carbon dioxide. From the dynamic modelling, the adsorption rate constants for surfactant and carbon dioxide are found to decrease with carbon dioxide pressure. The role of carbon chain length of amphiphiles in aqueous solution is also studied. It is illustrated that the equilibrium constants for adsorption from both sides of a vapor/liquid interface increase from 1-butanol to 1-octanol. The modelling results show that the ratio of the equilibrium constant for adsorption from vapor phase to the equilibrium constant for adsorption from liquid phase declines from 260 to 26 as the chain length is increased from 1-butanol to 1-octanol. Therefore, the contribution to adsorption from liquid phase augments as the chain length is increased. The adsorption kinetics for this group of short carbon chain surfactants is modelled using a kinetic transfer equation. The modelling results show that the adsorption rate constants from vapor phase and liquid phase (kag and kal) increase from 1-butanol to 1-octanol. Steady-state and dynamic modelling also reveals that the maximum surface concentration increases with carbon chain length. These results may be due to the higher hydrophobicity character of a surfactant molecule at longer carbon chain length.

Amphiphiles that possess a dual character, hydrophobic and hydrophilic, are employed in many chemical, pharmaceutical and biological applications. Amphiphile molecules that include a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail can easily adsorb at a liquid/vapour interface, to reach to a minimum free energy and hence a most thermodynamically stable state. Surface tension is a key parameter for understanding such behavior of an amphiphile, or a surfactant. This thesis represents a comprehensive study on adsorption and surface tension of slightly volatile, organic amphiphiles in aqueous solution. Although for a vapor-liquid interface, adsorption from both liquid and vapor phases should be considered, they have been almost always considered exclusive of one another. When a volatile surfactant is dissolved in the liquid phase, it also applies a finite partial pressure in the vapor phase. Recently, dynamic surface tension experiments showed that adsorption from both sides of a vapor/liquid interface must be studied simultaneously. It is noted that surface tension phenomena are often dynamic, in particular when the surface under consideration is perturbed. With the newly discovered importance of adsorption from both sides of a vapor/liquid interface, one may have to ask the question: how dynamic surface tension is influenced and responding to the surface perturbation and environment changes, and whether both sides of the interface play a role in surface tension responses. In this research, axisymmetric drop shape analysis-profile (ADSA-P) is used for surface tension measurement. The experiments are performed in a closed chamber where the effects of surfactant concentrations of both liquid and vapor phases on the surface tension can be studied. The partial vapor pressure of surfactant is controlled with an environment solution containing the same surfactant as the sample solution. The environment solution is to facilitate adsorption from the vapor side of the interface by creating a surfactant vapor phase. The effects of surface perturbation, environment condition (i.e., temperature and pressure) and carbon chain length on the surface tension and adsorption kinetics are studied in detail. The surface tension response of 1-octanol aqueous solution to surface area perturbation is investigated. Upon surface compression, the surface tension decreases followed by a gradual increase back to the value prior to compression. On surface expansion, two categories of surface tension response are observed: First, when the change in surface area is smaller than 5%, the behavior similar to that of conventional surfactants is observed. The surface tension increases followed by a gradual decrease back to the value prior to expansion. Second, when the change in surface area is greater than 5%, and the drop concentration is sufficiently larger than the environment concentration, the surface tension initially slightly increases, but after a time delay, it sharply decreases, followed by a gradual increase back to the value prior to expansion. Previous studies showed that at steady-state condition a network of hydrogen bonding between surfactant and water molecules near the surface is created. The unique surface tension response after large expansion might be related to the momentarily destruction of this hydrogen bonding network and gradually making a new one. The effect of temperature on the surface tension and adsorption kinetics of 1-octanol, 1-hexanol and 1-butanol aqueous solutions is studied. The steady-state surface tension is found to decrease upon an increase in temperature, and a linear relationship is observed between them. The modified Langmuir equation of state and the modified kinetic transfer equation are used to model the experimental data of the steady-state and dynamic (time-dependent) surface tension, respectively. The equilibrium constants and adsorption rate constants are evaluated through a minimization procedure for temperatures ranging from 10°C to 35°C. From the steady-state modelling, the equilibrium constants for adsorption from vapor phase and liquid phase are found to increase with temperature. From the dynamic modelling, the adsorption rate constants for adsorption from vapor phase and liquid phase are found to increase with temperature too. The influence of carbon dioxide pressure on the surface tension and adsorption kinetics of the aforementioned surfactant aqueous solutions is investigated. To consider the effect of adsorption/desorption of the two species (surfactant and carbon dioxide) from both sides of a vapor/liquid interface on the surface tension, the modified Langmuir equation of state and the modified kinetic transfer equation are derived. The steady-state and dynamic surface tension data are modelled using the modified Langmuir equation of state and the modified kinetic transfer equation, respectively. The equilibrium constants and adsorption rate constants of surfactant and carbon dioxide are evaluated through a minimization procedure for CO2 pressures ranging from 0 to 690 KPa. From the steady-state modelling, the equilibrium parameters for surfactant and carbon dioxide adsorption from vapor phase and liquid phase are found unchanged for different pressures of carbon dioxide. From the dynamic modelling, the adsorption rate constants for surfactant and carbon dioxide are found to decrease with carbon dioxide pressure. The role of carbon chain length of amphiphiles in aqueous solution is also studied. It is illustrated that the equilibrium constants for adsorption from both sides of a vapor/liquid interface increase from 1-butanol to 1-octanol. The modelling results show that the ratio of the equilibrium constant for adsorption from vapor phase to the equilibrium constant for adsorption from liquid phase declines from 260 to 26 as the chain length is increased from 1-butanol to 1-octanol. Therefore, the contribution to adsorption from liquid phase augments as the chain length is increased. The adsorption kinetics for this group of short carbon chain surfactants is modelled using a kinetic transfer equation. The modelling results show that the adsorption rate constants from vapor phase and liquid phase (kag and kal) increase from 1-butanol to 1-octanol. Steady-state and dynamic modelling also reveals that the maximum surface concentration increases with carbon chain length. These results may be due to the higher hydrophobicity character of a surfactant molecule at longer carbon chain length.