Contact Angle: Decisive Surface Data from a Single Test

Today, most people measure contact angle as if their surface were ideal and they end up with not really reproducible data, which limit the interest to an estimation of the surface tension... 
But with your current equipment and an improved approach to contact angle measurements, you can obtain insightful data about surface roughness & uniformity. Join this course and:

1. Clarify why you face reliability issues with contact angle data and how to proceed when testing non-ideal surfaces to get full benefit from this simple test


2. Get guidance to determine by yourselves contact angle hysteresis (measuring advancing & receeding contact angles): the key to get data on release agents residues, weak boundary layers, wettability, printability, over treatment…


3. Get the clues to interpret contact angle hysteresis and extract the surface info you need with step-by-step explanations on real cases

The following sections will be covered during this session:

1. Contact angle and surface energy
   • Surface free energy
   • Primary (ionic/covalent) chemical bonds
   • Van der Waals forces


2. Work of adhesion
   • Young Equation
   • Thermodynamic Work of Adhesion & Contact Angle


3. Non-ideal surfaces and contact angle hysteresis
   • Spreading pressure
   • Advancing angle & Receding angle
   • Causes of contact angle hysteresis: surface roughness, heterogeneous surface


4. Interpretation of contact angle data
   • Polar and non-polar contributions
   • Surface treatments assessment
   • Surface characterization


5. Practical examples of applications of contact angle
   • High surface energy: surface contamination, wettability
   • Low surface energy: polarity of the surface, weak boundary layer


6. 30 mins Q&A- Interact live/ ask questions directly from the expert !