The course covers four major topics. 1. The thermodynamic properties of interfaces (surface energy, wetting, surface area and porosity, capillary effects, work of adhesion/cohesion). 2. Models of adsorption/desorption phenomena. 3. The amphiphilic behaviour of surfactants. 4. The stability and characterization of colloidal systems. Student appreciation for the importance of these phenomena is cultivated using examples drawn from industrial processes/products including inks, paints, foods, polymer blends, and nanocomposites.
