Contact Angle and Surface Analysis

Used to determine the static contact angle of a liquid droplet on a solid surface (with 0° being defined as absolute wetting and 180° as completely non-wetting).
The optical analysis of drops that hang from a dosing needle or are placed on a solid surface facilitates the determination of different surface and interfacial parameters. The contact angle that a liquid drop establishes on a solid surface characterizes the solid’s wetting behavior with said liquid.
Having measured the contact angles of multiple test liquids the surface energy of the solid can be determined and the latter can be used to calculate the work of adhesion for different liquids.
The reliable and experimentally robust measurement of the contact angle aids on the development of surface coatings, composite materials, paints and varnishes or cleaning agents.
In short: the measurement of contact angle helps in all situations where solids and liquids meet, and advantage is to be gained by the control of wetting and adhesion properties

Institute of Materials Science