Interfacial phenomena

Interfacial phenomena

Introduction

A boundary between two phases (a phase being one of the three states of matter—gas, liquid, or solid) is termed an interface. An interface between solid and gas or liquid and gas is typically called a surface. Liquid–liquid interfaces result from the contact of mutually immiscible liquids. Liquid– solid interfaces result from the contact of an insoluble solid with the liquid. The phenomena resulting from and at the boundary of the two phases are termed interfacial phenomena. Interfacial phenomena result from the dif-ferent environment (at the molecular level) faced by the molecules of both phases at the interface, as compared with the bulk of each phase.