SURFACE & INTERFACIAL TENSION

SURFACE
When two phases are in contact with each other and one of the two phases is in gas or,
vapor or, air than the boundary between them is called surface.

TYPES
There are two types of surface is possible.
Name of Surface

Phases

Example

i. Solid Surface

Solid and gas

Table Top

ii. Liquid Surface

Liquid and gas

Body of water exposed to atmosphere

INTERFACE
When the phase exists together, the boundary between two of them is termed as interface.
The phases must be immiscible.
TYPES
Interface may be divided into two types.
Name of interface
i. Solid interface

ii. Liquid interface

Phases

Example

Solid - Solid

Powder particles in with each other

Solid - Liquid

Suspension

Liquid - Liquid

Emulsion

Md. Asif Hasan niloy

Pharmacy 3rd semester (24 Batch)

SURFACE & INTERFACIAL TENSION

SURFACE TENSION
Surface free energy per unit of surface of the liquid is called surface tension. Surface tension is
the phase per unit length that must be applied parallel to the surface so as to counterbalance
to net in ward pull.
Unit: Unit of the surface tension is dyne/cm.
Surface tension =

where, f = force, L = length

Example: Surface tension of H2O at 20 is 72.8 dyne/cm.

INTERFACIAL TENSION
Interfacial tension is the force per unit length existing in the interface between to immiscible
liquid phase.
Unit: Unit of the interfacial tension is dyne/cm.
In the general science all tension may be referred to as interfacial tension.
Example: The interfacial tension of Benzene against water at 20 is 35.0
ADHESIVE FORCE
The forces which act between molecules of different phases are called adhesive force.
Adhesional force tends to increase the affinity of two phases.
For Example: The force acting between water and oil is called adhesive force.

COHESIVE FORCE
The force acting between the molecules of the same phase is termed as cohesive force.
For Example: The force acting between water molecules. Cohetional force tends to
keep the phase separated.

Md. Asif Hasan niloy

Pharmacy 3rd semester (24 Batch)

SURFACE & INTERFACIAL TENSION

CONTACT ANGLE
The contact angle is an angle that a liquid
creates with a solid surface or capillary walls of
a porous material when both materials come in
contact together. This angle is determined by
both properties of the solid and the liquid and
the interaction and repulsion forces between
liquid and solid and by the three phase interface
properties (gas, liquid and solid).

METHODS OF MEASURING SURFACE TENSION

There are methods available for the measurement of surface tension. Such asi. Withelmy Plate Method.
ii. Ring Method (Du Nouy Tensiometer).
iii. Drop Weight and Drop Volume Methods.
iv. Capillary Rise Method.
v. Dynamic Methods
SURFACTANTS / SURFACE ACTIVE AGENTS / AMPHIPHILES
Surfactants are compounds that lower the surface tension of a liquid, allowing easier
spreading, and lowering of the interfacial tension between two liquids, or between a liquid
and a solid. Surfactants may act as detergents, wetting agents, emulsifiers, foaming agents,
and dispersants.
Characteristics: i. Hydrophilic and Lipophilic.
ii. Reside at interfaces and lower the interfacial tension.
iii. Can be Synthetic or natural.

Md. Asif Hasan niloy

Pharmacy 3rd semester (24 Batch)

SURFACE & INTERFACIAL TENSION

CLASSIFICATION OF SURFACTANT
Depending on their ionization in aqueous solutions surfactant can be classified as:i. Anionic Surfactant.
ii. Cationic Surfactant.
iii. Non-ionic Surfactant.
iv. Amphoteric Surfactant.
Anionic Surfactant:
They ionize in aqueous solution into a large anion which is responsible for their emulsifying
ability.
Characteristics: i. Has a negative charge.
ii. Widely used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic company.
iii. Have an unpleasant test and have skin irritation potential.
iv. Not compatible with cationic surface active agents.
v. Compatible with non-ionizes and amphoteric surface active agents.
Example: Potassium stearate, Calcium and Aluminum stearate, Oleic acid.
Amphoteric Surfactant:
Amphoteric surfactants are the substances whose ionic characteristics depend on the pH of
the system. Below a certain pH, these are cationic while above a defined pH, these are
anionic. At intermediate pH these behave as zwitterions.
Characteristics: i. can be cationic, anionic or zwitterionic.
ii. Compatible with all types of surface active agents.
Example: Lecithin and N-dodecyl alanine.
Cationic Surfactant:
They ionize in aqueous solution into a large cation which is responsible for their
emulsifying ability.
Characteristics: i. Has a positive charge.
ii. Can be used as bactericidal agents and secondary emulsifying agents.
iii. Absorb onto negatively charged surfaces.
iv. Are used as hair conditioners and fabric softeners.
v. Are electrolytes.
vi. Compatible with nonionic.

Md. Asif Hasan niloy

Pharmacy 3rd semester (24 Batch)

SURFACE & INTERFACIAL TENSION

Example: Cetrimide, Germicide, ammonium bromide,.
Non-ionic Surfactant:
Non-ionic surfactants comprise the largest group of surface active agents that is used
pharmaceutically.
Characteristics: i. Has no charge.
ii. Not electrolytes.
iii. Are not affected much by the presence of salts or charges in pH.
iv. Hydrophilic group may contain hydroxyl groups, saccharides.
Example: glycerol monostearate and propylene glycol monostearate.
Advantage: The advantage of these agents includes their compatibility with both
anionic and cationic surfactants, their resistance to pH change and effects
of electrolytes and lower irritancy as compared to other surfactants.
Disadvantage: These agents have tendency to inactive preservatives having phenolic or
SURFACTANT

CLASS

SURFACE ACTIVE AGENT

a. Alkali Soaps
1. Anionic

2. Cationic

Potassium Stearate

b. Organic Sulphates

Sodium lauryl sulphate

c. Organic Sulphonates

Sodium cetylsulphonate

a. Quaternary ammonium compounds

Cetrimide

b. Pyridinium compounds
3. Ampholytic

Dodecyl pyridinium chloride

Amino acids

N-dodecyl-alanine

a) Alcohol-poly-ethylene glycol ethers

Polyethylene glycol

4. Non-ionic

1000 monocetyl ether

b) Fatty acid poly-ethylene glycol esters

Polyethelene glycol
40 monostearate

c) Fatty acid poly hyhydric alcoholesters

Sorbitan mono-oleate

carboxylic acid groups when present in excess quantities.

Md. Asif Hasan niloy

Pharmacy 3rd semester (24 Batch)

SURFACE & INTERFACIAL TENSION

MEASUREMENT OF SURFACE AND INTERFACIAL TENSION
CAPILLARY RISE METHOD
This method is suitable for measuring the surface tension and not for interfacial tension.
When a capillary tube is placed in a liquid contained in a beaker, the liquid immediately rises
up the tube to a certain height.
A capillary tube of radius r is vertically inserted into a liquid. The liquid rises to a height h
and form a concave meniscus. The surface tension () acting along the inner circumference of
the tube exactly supports the weight of the liquid column.
By definition, surface tension is force per 1 cm acting at a tangent to the meniscus surface. If
the angle between the tangent and the tube wall is , the vertical component of surface
tension is cos. The total surface tension along the circular contact line of meniscus is 2r
times. Therefore,
Upward Force = 2rcos
Where r is the radius of the capillary. For most liquids, is essentially zero, and cos = 1.
Then the upward force reduces to 2r.
The downward force on the liquid column is due to its weight which is mass g.
thus,
Downward Force = hr2dg
Where d is the density of the liquid.
But

Upward Force = Downward Force

2rn = hr2dg
=

dynes/cm

In order to know the value of , the value of h is found with the help of a travelling
microscope and the density (d) with a pyknometer.

Md. Asif Hasan niloy

Pharmacy 3rd semester (24 Batch)

SURFACE & INTERFACIAL TENSION

Precautions:
i. The capillary tube used for the experiment should be of circular cross-section and
should have a uniform diameter throughout its length.
ii. The vessel used during the experiment should have a large diameter.
iii. The capillary tube and the other apparatus should be absolutely clean.
iv. The height of the column should be measured accurately.
v. The temperature should be maintained constant throughout the experiment.
Related math

Q. Determine the surface tension of a 0.5% solution of a surfactant that has

a density of 1.012 g/cm3 which rises to a height of 3.4 cm in a capillary tube
having an inside diameter of 0.05cm.
Solution
Density of the surfactant solution () = 1.012 g/cm3
Inside diameter of the capillary tube = 0.05 cm
.

Inside radius of the capillary tube (r) =

= 0.025 cm

Height to which liquid rises in the capillary tube (h) = 3.4 cm

Acceleration due to gravity (g) = 981 cm/sec2
Surface tension of the surfactant solution:
=
=

0.025 3.4 1.012 981

= 42.19 dynes/cm

Md. Asif Hasan niloy

Pharmacy 3rd semester (24 Batch)

SURFACE & INTERFACIAL TENSION

DROP WEIGHT & DROP COUNT METHODS
If a liquid is allowed to fall slowly through a capillary tube, the liquid first forms a drop at
the tip of the tube which gradually increases in size and finally detaches from the tip when
the weight of the drop equals the total surface tension at the circumference of the tube.
Expressing mathematically,
W=2 r
Where, w is the one weight of one drop of the liquid
r is the radius of the capillary
is the surface tension of the liquid.

Surface tension of a liquid can be determined using the above principle by either of the
following two methods using a drop pipette (Stalagmometer).
1. Drop weight Method
2. Drop count Method
Drop weight Method
The drop pipette or stalagmometer consists of a glass tube
with a bulb blown approximately in the middle of the
tube. There are two markings A and B on the tubes, one
above the bulb and the other below it. There is a capillary
bore at the tip of the stalagmometer.
The stalagmometer is clamped vertically and the given
liquid, whose surface tension is to be determined, is sucked
into it upto the mark A. The liquid is then allowed to drop slowly from the tipoff the
pipette. Twenty to thirty drops are collected from the pipette into a clean tarred vessel and
the weight of one drop of the liquid is determined (w). The surface tension of the liquid is
then given by
W=2

Or,

Md. Asif Hasan niloy

Pharmacy 3rd semester (24 Batch)

SURFACE & INTERFACIAL TENSION

It is a general practice to determine and report the surface tension of a liquid with respect to
water. For this, the liquid is first taken in the pipette. The weight of one drop of liquid (w 1) is
determined as described above. Similarly water is taken up in the pipette and the weight of
one drop of water (w2) is obtained.
The relative surface tension of the liquid

=
=

Drop Count Method

The method is similar to the drop weight method except that the number of drops of the
liquid formed is counted instead of weighing.
In this method, the given liquid is sucked into the stalagmometer upto the mark A.
Keeping the pipette vertically, the number of drops formed when the liquid level falls from
the mark A to B is counted.
We know that,

=
=
Where m is the mass of 1 drop, g is the gravitational force and n is the number of drops.
Or,

Where, vd = volume density = mass (m)

For determination of relative surface tension of a liquid, the number of drops of the liquid
(n1) as well as water (n2) formed for the same volume are determined.

Md. Asif Hasan niloy

Pharmacy 3rd semester (24 Batch)

SURFACE & INTERFACIAL TENSION

The relative surface tension of the liquid is given by:

=
=
=

Precautions:
i. The tip of the pipette should have no imperfections in the outer circumference and
should be completely weighted by the liquid.
ii. The drops should be allowed to form slowly.
iii. About 20 to 30 drops should be collected and from this, the average weight of
one drop should be determined.
iv. The temperature should be maintained constant throughout the experiment.
HLB System
Surfactants comprise of both polar and non-polar groups in their molecule. Surfactants with
more polar groups are predominantly hydrophilic while those with more non-polar groups
are predominantly lipophilic. The balance between the hydrophilic and lipophilic nature of
the surfactant may be given by means of HLB system. It was first introduced by Griffin in
1949 for classification of non-ionic surfactants

Md. Asif Hasan niloy

Pharmacy 3rd semester (24 Batch)

10

SURFACE & INTERFACIAL TENSION

HLB Value
HLB value probably estimated by employing the following formula:
HLB = 20 (1 S/A)
Where,
S is saponification number of the ester
A is the acid number of the fatty acid.
Example: oleic acids HLB value is 1.0
##Not Need: For materials such as beeswax lanolin derivatives with which it is not possible
to obtain good saponification number, the following formula may be used:
HLB =
Where,
E is % w/w of oxyethelene chain and
P is % w/w of polyhydric alcohol group in the molecule.
SURFACE ACTIVE AGENT

HLB value

Oleic acid

1.0

Glyceryl monostearate (pure)

3.8

Sorbitan monooleate (Span 80)

4.3

Sorbitan monostearate (Span 60)

4.7

Glyceryl monostearate (Self emulsifying)

5.5

Gum acacia

8.0

Sorbitan monolaurate (Span 20)

8.6

Triethanolamine oleate

12.0

Poltoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80)

15.0

Polyxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate (Tween 20)

16.7

Potassium oleate

20.0

Sodium lauryl sulphate

40.0

Md. Asif Hasan niloy

Pharmacy 3rd semester (24 Batch)

11

SURFACE & INTERFACIAL TENSION

Md. Asif Hasan niloy

Pharmacy 3rd semester (24 Batch)

12