Temperature-Induced Variations in Particle Adhesion and Frictional Properties in Liquid Environments

Temperature changes can significantly impact how particles stick to surfaces and move in liquid environments, affecting everything from industrial processes to biological systems. Hence, this study investigates temperature-induced variations in particle adhesion using an inclined plane setup. It examines how adhesion strength is influenced by liquid type, particle roughness, size, and van der Waals forces. As temperature increases, liquid density and viscosity decrease, reducing adhesion. A spherical particle is suspended in a liquid and separated from a solid plane by a distance, with van der Waals force estimated using a standard equation. The study also applies kinetic and dynamic friction laws, determining rolling friction at the angle of repose, where a particle begins to slide on the inclined plane. Results showed that smaller particles required higher inclination angles to roll. In water, particles with diameters of 0.4500 cm rolled at angles corresponding to sinØ values of 0.0910–0.0940, while smaller particles (0.0135 cm) had a sinØ of 0.2743. In ethanol, rolling occurred at lower angles, with sinØ values ranging from 0.1300 (0.0190 cm) to 0.1895 (0.0140 cm). Ethanol’s lower density (789.3 kg/m³) than water (998.2 kg/m³) allowed earlier sliding. Graphs confirmed van der Waals forces dominated adhesion, with linear regression validating the model. Hamaker coefficients, calculated from the data, fall within reported literature values and increase with temperature. Coefficients of friction decrease with temperature, ranging from 0.0680 to 0.0400 (Water) and 0.0480 to 0.0326 (Ethanol). These findings apply to biomedical engineering, microfluidics, and nanotechnology, where controlling adhesion and friction is essential for efficiency and performance.