Surface Tension of Different Liquids

Surface tension refers to the property of liquids that causes the surface of the liquid to behave like a stretched elastic sheet. It’s the result of cohesive forces between the liquid molecules at the surface, which are attracted to each other more than they are to molecules in the air above.

The following table provides a comprehensive list of surface tension values for different liquids in (mN/m) unit.

Unless stated otherwise, all values are taken at standard room temperature (approximately 20°C or 68°F) and 1 atmospheric (atm) pressure. (1 atm = 101,325 Pa)

Surface Tension of Liquids
Acetic acid27.58
Acetone22.68
Acetonitrile22.68
Benzene28.88
1-Butanol25.38
Butyl acetate25.41
Carbon tetrachloride27.04
Chloroform27.32
Cumene28.2
Cyclohexane25.26
Cyclohexanone35.19
Decane23.83
Dichloromethane27.84
Diethyl ether17.10
Diiodomethane66.98
Dimethyl sulfoxide43.50
Dimethylformamide17.34
Dodecane25.35
Ethanol22.39
Ethyl acetate23.97
Ethylene glycol48.49
Formamide58.35
Glycerol63.40
Heptane19.7
Hexadecane27.47
Hexane18.40
1-Hexanol25.73
Isopropyl alcohol21.79
Methanol22.3
Nitrobenzene43.9
Nonane24.7
Octane21.62
Oleic acid32.8
Pentane15.48
1-Pentanol25.6
Propylene carbonate41.39
Propylene glycol36.51
Toluene28.52
m-Xylene28.1
o-Xylene29.49
p-Xylene27.76
Water72.75

The surface tension values listed here may vary depending on temperature, pressure, and other factors.

Related Tables
References: 1) Cardarelli, François. Materials Handbook: A Concise Desktop Reference. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2018. 2) CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 97th Edition. United Kingdom: CRC Press, 2016-2017.