Theory of nucleated wetting

We compare a new theory of nucleated wetting with experimental data for the critical liquid mixture hexadecane+acetone. Good agreement is obtained for t≥8×${10}^{\mathrm{-}5}$. We determine that the droplet line tension scrL=${\mathit{scrL}}_0$ ${\mathit{t}}^{\mathit{x}}$ where ${\mathit{scrL}}_0$∼1×${10}^{\mathrm{-}7}$ erg/cm and x=0.76±0.02 while the spreading pressure S≊${\mathit{S}}_0$ ${\mathit{t}}_1^{\mathrm{\beta }}$ where ${\mathit{S}}_0$∼0.007 erg/${\mathrm{cm}}^2$. Theory and experiment exhibit a minimum in the nucleation data at a reduced temperature of ${\mathit{t}}_{\mathit{m}}$ (≊0.000 22 for an upper hexadecane-rich bulk phase of height L=0.56 cm); theory predicts that ${\mathit{t}}_{\mathit{m}}$ scales as ∼${\mathit{L}}_1^{2/3(\mathrm{\beta }}$-β).