Surface and interfacial tension is a force that keeps a fluid together at the air/ fluid and fluid/oil interface respectively (Figure 1). It is the intermolecular force of attraction between adjacent molecules, expressed in force per unit width as dynes centimetre-1 (dynes cm-1) or milliNewtons metre (mN m-1). Water, at ambient temperature, has a high surface tension in the range of 72 dynes cm-1. While alcohols are in a low range of 20 to 22 dynes cm-1. Solvents, typically, are in the 20 to 30 dynes cm-1 range.

Main Research: Dr. Zahariah Ismail