Physical properties of surfaces. II—Viscous flow of liquid films. The range of action of surface forces

The present paper describes experiments which were carried out in order to determine the extent to which the fluid properties of water and other liquids may be modified by the presence of a solid surface. For this purpose, measurements of the viscous flow of a liquid very near to a surface are particularly suitable, since they provide a sensitive test for the existence of any induced structure in the liquid. If the surface has no appreciable effect, the smallest applied pressure will cause the liquid to flow and the rate of flow plotted against pressure will give a straight line passing through the origin, see fig. 3. If, however, as many authors have suggested, long chains of oriented liquid molecules with a definite rigidity are formed by the influence of the surface, the liquid will show a resistance to shear, which will be specially evident at low pressures; Poiseuille’s law will not hold and the pressure-flow curve will be of the form shown in fig. 4. A method has been developed for measuring the viscosity of thin liquid films enclosed between flat polished surfaces of glass and steel. The film thickness can be varied from about 10-5 cm to any desired distance and can be accurately determined. The experiments show that films of a liquid, known to possess a bulk structure (liquid crystal), possess a high rigidity, but there is no sign of induced structure in normal liquids even with very thin films and at temperatures near the freezing point.