Mobile Contact Angle Measurement

Demand is increasing for flexible ­instruments that can be used in the field and which allow tests to be carried out on materials while processes are being carried out. The MobileDrop from Kruess closes this gap in the contact angle measurement field. MobileDrop is operated with only one hand and permits measurements to be made on surfaces of virtually any size. Despite its small space ­requirements, a prism ­optics system ensures a sharp image of the drop contour. Drop deposition with different liquids allows the surface free energy and its polar and dispersive fractions to be determined in a short time. All components are contained in an ergonomic housing together with a USB camera. The video image is transferred to a notebook which does the mental work: analysis of the drop shape and calculation of contact angles and surface energies with the software DSA2.