METASTABLE AND EQUILIBRIUM WETTING STATES IN THE BI-SN SYSTEM

Sessile drop experiments involving a variety of Bi-Sn alloys on solid Bi substrates were performed. Substrates prepared from small- and larg e-grained polycrystals and single crystals were used to measure equili brium and metastable contact angles and estimate the surface tension a nd equilibrium contact angle of the solid-liquid interface. The substr ates were also used to investigate the coupling of the dissolution and wetting processes and to investigate the effect of substrate grain si ze on wetting. It was determined that the equilibrium welting geometry is independent of linear scale and that grain size has little influen ce on wetting or dissolution in the Bi-Sn system. (C) 1998 Acta Metall urgica Inc. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.