Contact Angle Vs. Dyne Testing

The contact angle which a liquid forms on a smooth, homogeneous surface is dependent on the solid’s surface energy; higher energy surfaces exhibit a smaller contact angle, and offer better wettability. Contact angle meters use distilled water to test films and flats, as well as curved or cylindrical objects.

Whereas carefully performed dyne tests are generally best advised for production-oriented testing (due to low initial and operating cost, quick turnaround time, adequate precision and replicability, and excellent modeling of the actual interfacial dynamics manifest in most manufacturing operations), the contact angle test is by far preferred for more basic laboratory research. It is ideal for R&D projects which require ultimate precision and replicability.