Biolin – Attension Theta Optical Tensiometers
Attension® offers leading contact angle and surface tension solutions for industrial quality control and R&D as well as for academic research. The core of Attension solutions is a combination of easy-to-use, smart instrumen...
Attension® offers leading contact angle and surface tension solutions for industrial quality control and R&D as well as for academic research. The core of Attension solutions is a combination of easy-to-use, smart instrumentation with broad surface science capabilities.
Measurements
- Static contact angle
- Dynamic contact angle
- Roll-off angle
- Surface free energy (SFE)
- Surface tension
- Interfacial tension
- Batch contact angle
- Roughness corrected contact angle
- Interfacial rheology (viscoelasticity)
Technology
An optical tensiometer records drop images and analyzes the drop shape automatically. The drop shape is a function of the surface tension of the liquid, gravity and the density. On a solid, the drop shape and the contact angle also depends on the properties of the solid (e.g. surface free energy, topography). The captured image is analyzed with a drop profile fitting method in order to determine contact angle and surface tension. Surface free energy can be calculated by performing contact angle measurements with several known liquids.
As an optical method, the measurement precision of optical tensiometers depends on the quality of the pictures and the analysis software. Attension Optical Tensiometers utilize a high quality monochromatic cold LED light source to minimize undesirable sample evaporation. Image quality is guaranteed by a high-resolution digital camera, quality optics and the accuracy of the drop fitting method.