Wettability Assessment of Submicrometer Alumina Powder Using a Modified Washburn Method

The possibility to accurately measure the liquid–solid contact angle on submicrometer powders by means of a modified capillary rise setup using cold isostatically pressed powder compacts is reported. The geometric factor needed for the determination of the contact angle from liquid penetration data was calculated from the pore properties of the powder compacts. During the capillary rise experiments, the pellets retained their structural integrity and concomitant porosity ensuring the reproducibility of the contact angle values obtained.