On the lack of influence of contact area on the solid-liquid lateral retention force

Abstract

We experimentally show that, unlike the solid-solid frictional force, the solid-liquid retention force is determined by interactions at the triple line rather than over the solid-liquid contact area, as predicted by theory. We have prepared drops whose triple line enclosed a uniform surface, a hydrophobic island, and topographical inhomogeneities, and measured the same retention force for all three cases. We have also studied the retention force on drops whose initial triple line was non-circumferential and measured different retention forces for different shapes, also as predicted by theory. The experiments with non-circumferential drops provide (1) another way to show that the retention force is not proportional to the contact area, and (2) a manner to falsify a recent theory on drop depinning.