The Surface Tension of Indium: Methods and Results of Investigations

The primary results of investigations of the surface tension (ST) of indium for the last six decades are considered in this review, and original data on the temperature dependence of the ST of indium obtained by authors using the sessile large drop and maximal drop pressure methods are given. Primary attention is paid to analyzing the possible methodological drawbacks of experimental studies, in which surface tension values of pure indium and some other metals, significantly exceeding the ST data, determined by traditional classic methods, are obtained. In the authors’ opinion, the cleaning of the studied metal surfaces by heavy ion bombardments of inert gases, which is used in similar works, cannot guarantee obtaining true surface tension values.