Effect of contact line curvature on solid-fluid surface tensions without line tension.

For sessile droplets partially wetting a solid surface, it has been observed experimentally that the value of the contact angle depends on the contact line curvature and this dependence has been attributed to tension in the contact line. But previous analyses of these observations have neglected adsorption at the solid-liquid interface and its effect on the surface tension of this interface. We show that if this adsorption is taken into account the relation between the contact angle and contact line curvature is completely accounted for without introducing line tension. Further, from the observed relation between the contact angle and contact line curvature, the adsorption at the solid-liquid interface can be determined, as can the surface tensions of the solid-liquid and solid-vapor interfaces.