ABSTRACT
Solid materials are often characterized by their wetting behavior. Wetting of solid surfaces by liquids is a very common and important phenomenon in nature as well as in technological applications. Examples are the poor wetting by water of the feathers of (water)birds, the wetting of plant leaves by solutions of pesticides, the treatment of a textile to make it waterproof, the influence of detergents on the wettability of dishes, the wettability of contact lenses by lachrymal fluid, and so on.
