Approximate expressions for the capillary force and the surface area of a liquid bridge between identical spheres

Abstract We consider a liquid bridge between identical spheres and present approximate expressions for the capillary force and the exposed surface area of the liquid bridge as functions of the liquid bridge’s total volume and the sphere separation distance. The radius of the spheres and the solid–liquid contact angle are parameters that enter the expressions. These expressions are needed for efficient numerical simulations of drying suspensions and other systems involving liquid bridges whose volume or shape vary in time.