Surface Tension in Structure Formation of Materials. Significance, Calculation, and Application
Surface tension, the most important thermodynamic value influencing on many physical-chemical processes occurring in the substance - from a critical nucleus at homogeneous nucleationto capillary phenomena at water absorption by a porous-capillary body - is considered. The size dependence of surface tension establishing its reduction with decreasing particlesizes has been studied. It is shown that the surface tension most significantly influences at the stage of early structure formation of a composite substance in the course of aggregationof structural elements of the substance in structures of a higher hierarchical level, at the presence of surfactants with a high level of lateral interaction especially. Experimental researchin this direction will make it possible to answer very important material science issues for current building composites, namely the dominant role of defect sizes, rational directions ofapplication of nano-technology methods as well as to reveal the rational groups of modifiers for controlling parameters of the structure and properties of building composites.