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Magdalene's Project Page - RISE summer 2005 |
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Intern: Magdalene Reynolds, Chemistry, Mills College
Mentor: Mustafa Akbulut
Faculty Supervisor: Jacob Israelachvili
Department: Chemical Engineering |
PREPARATION OF SURFACE FORCE APPARATUS FOR COALESCENCE
Coalescence, the study of liquid-liquid interactions, is important for
research in subjects like cloud formation and biological processes.
While important, research dealing with the intermolecular forces within
the interactions is very limited. The surface force apparatus, kin to the
atomic force microscope, could offer valuable data and information about
the forces. By bringing together its two curved plates coated in solution
and withdrawing the plates, the SFA could measure the repulsion and
attraction of the two plates and the respective liquids on the plates.
Until now, the SFA was not designed for liquid-liquid study and could not
control the liquids to properly study their behaviors. The project's
intention is to prepare the plates of the SFA to handle and implement liquids
consistently. Two processes, spin-coating and dipping, are used to apply solutions
to silicon wafers, using the variables from the processes to control the
measured product. Two polymers, polystyrene and polydimethylsiloxane, in
different weight percents in toluene will be prepared and measured for
thickness on the wafers, to be analyzed with ellipsometery.
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