A review of wetting versus adsorption, complexions, and related phenomena: the rosetta stone of wetting

Abstract

This paper reviews the fundamental concepts and the terminology of wetting. In particular, it focuses on high temperature wetting phenomena of primary interest to materials scientists. We have chosen to split this review into two sections: one related to macroscopic (continuum) definitions and the other to a microscopic (or atomistic) approach, where the role of chemistry and structure of interfaces and free surfaces on wetting phenomena are addressed. A great deal of attention has been placed on thermodynamics. This allows clarification of many important features, including the state of equilibrium between phases, the kinetics of equilibration, triple lines, hysteresis, adsorption (segregation) and the concept of complexions, intergranular films, prewetting, bulk phase transitions versus “interface transitions”, liquid versus solid wetting, and wetting versus dewetting.