capillary condensation

This difference in filling rate can be a beneficial application of capillary condensation.

Hysteresis in capillary condensation has been shown to be minimized at higher temperatures.

Capillary condensation is an important factor in both naturally occurring and synthetic porous structures.

Synthetic applications such as sintering of materials are also highly dependent on bridging effects resulting from capillary condensation.

In these structures, scientists use the concept of capillary condensation to determine pore size distribution and surface area though adsorption isotherms.

Therefore, the variables that govern capillary condensation most are the equilibrium vapor pressure and the mean curvature of the meniscus.

Adsorption isotherm studies utilizing capillary condensation are still the main method for determining pore size and shape.

The Kelvin equation can be used to describe the phenomenon of capillary condensation due to the presence of a curved meniscus.

Experimentally, however it is seen that capillary condensation plays a large role in bridging or adhering multiple surfaces or particles together.

The unique aspect of capillary condensation is that vapor condensation occurs below the saturation vapor pressure, P, of the pure liquid.

In contrast to the advantages of capillary condensation, it can also cause many problems in materials science applications such as Atomic Force Microscopy and Microelectromechanical Systems.

For example, if a capillary's radius increases sharply, then capillary condensation (adsorption) will cease until an equilibrium vapor pressure is reached which satisfies the larger pore radius.

Neither systematic nor transient changes in humidity have an effect on long-term rehydroxylation kinetics, though they do affect instantaneous gravimetric measurements or introduce systematic error (i.e. through capillary condensation).

Starting from the assumption that two wetted surfaces will stick together, e.g. the bottom of a glass cup on a wet counter top, will help to explain the idea of how capillary condensation causes two surfaces to bridge together.