International Business Machines Corporation
Determining wettablity characteristics of a fluid-fluid-solid sample

Abstract:

Provided are embodiments for a system for determining wettability of fluid-fluid-solid systems. The system includes a confocal optical microscope and a storage medium, the storage medium being coupled to a processor. The processor is configured to perform a scan of a sample of a multi-phase system using the confocal optical microscope, wherein a phase defines a structural phase of matter, identify each phase of the sample, and measure a three-phase contact line for the sample, wherein the three-phase contact line is along an interface of first fluid and a second fluid and an interface of a second fluid and solid. The processor is configured to obtain one or more characteristics from the sample based at least in part on the three-phase contact line, and provide the one or more characteristics for the sample. Also provided are embodiments for a method for determining the wettability of fluid-fluid-solid systems.