Wetting of molten indium under short-time microgravity

The wetting of molten indium on quartz glass was investigated under short-time microgravity. The shape of molten indium under normal gravity was ellipsoidal and the shape under microgravity was spherical. The contact angles under microgravity were smaller than those under normal gravity and were constant during the microgravity condition. The contact angles under normal gravity and under microgravity decreased with increasing temperature. The contact angles decreased and the difference of contact area between normal gravity and microgravity increased with the amount of indium per droplet. Work of adhesion between molten indium and quartz glass was evaluated using the contact area and the potential energy of the droplet in the change from normal gravity to microgravity.