title: Theory of mercury intrusion in a distribution of unconnected wedge-shaped slits.
abstract: Effective mercury intrusion in a wedge-shaped slit is gradual, the intruded depth increasing with applied pressure. The Washburn equation must be modified accordingly. It relates the distance, e, separating the three-phase contact lines on the wedge faces to the hydrostatic pressure, P, wedge half-opening angle alpha, mercury surface tension gamma, and contact angle theta: e=(-2gamma/P)cos(theta-alpha) if theta-alpha>pi2. The equations relating the volume of mercury in a single slit to hydrostatic pressure are established. The total volume of mercury V(Hg)(tot)(E(0),e) intruded in a set of unconnected isomorphous slits (same alpha value) with opening width, E, distributed over interval [E(0),0], and volume-based distribution of opening width, f(V)(E), is written as where G(X)=(sin(-1)X-X1-X(2))/X(2) and X(E,e)=-cos(theta-alpha)Ee. The exact relation between total internal surface area and integral pressure work is.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Recherche sur la Reactivité des Solides, UMR CNRS 5613, Université de Bourgogne, 9 allée Alain Savary, BP 47870, F-21078 Dijon, France. pierre.bracconi@u-bourgogne.fr
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bracconi
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sipple
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Mutin