Adhesion and wetting hysteresis of a metal (mercury) on an oxide glass in air and nitrogen

In general, oxygen can considerably change the wetting behavior of oxides b y molten metals. This work is a basic illustration of the oxidation effect on the wetting behavior of glass by a liquid metal. Taking mercury as a mod el of a metal, the importance of the metal oxidation in the glass/metal int eraction has been observed by measuring wetting contact angles of mercury o n glass and the ability of calibrated mercury drops to slide down, under gr avitation, on an inclined glass plate in air or in nitrogen. It is believed that the highest force of detachment by sliding of the mercury drop in air results from the metal oxidation which can be interpreted by a higher cont act angle hysteresis a hen the metal is exposed to air.