Rapid contact angle and surface tension measurements with easy & accurate analysis.
The Ossila Contact Angle Goniometer provides a fast, reliable, and easy method to measure contact angles and surface tensions of liquid droplets.
With its low price, compact size, and intuitive PC software - the barrier-to-entry is lowered, enabling more researchers than before to perform these useful and versatile measurements. It is covered by our FREE 2-year warranty.
Features
Affordable - Emerging camera technologies have allowed high-resolution images to be captured for much lower material costs. This means we can reduce the price of contact angle and surface tension measurements, without compromising on quality.
Simple to Use - The system comes complete with PC software that provides a simple and intuitive interface for contact angle and surface tension measurements. We also provide user guides and videos to help you get the most out of your experiments.
Compact Size - The small footprint of the system lets you perform measurements in labs even when space is lacking. With a total bench area of 10 cm x 30 cm, you won"t need to devote a whole desk to a single piece of equipment.
Easier Ink Optimisation - A low price and small size makes it possible for labs to have multiple systems. This enables constant access to contact angle and surface tension measurements, without needing to wait in line for a colleague to finish using it. The continuous feedback you gain from in-line measurements will speed up your ink formulation process.
High-Resolution Video - Take quality videos of your droplets using the high-resolution camera and a specially selected imaging lens. Watch and edit your videos and images however you like by exporting them as .avi and .png files.
Rapid Image Capture - The high frame rate of the system allows you to study the wetting process in detail, and gain increased insight into film formation.
Components
Contact Angle Goniometer - The system comprises a high resolution USB camera and manual lens, a powerful backlight and an adaptable sample stage.
Contact Angle Software - The contact angle software lets you record video and perform both contact angle and surface tension measurements.
Syringe Clamping Mechanism - A versatile and adaptable clamp system will secure a wide range of droplet dispensing equipment.
Syringe - A 25µl glass syringe with a removable blunt tip needle. Ideal for dispensing droplets for both contact angle and surface tension measurements.
Applications
Contact Angle and Surface Tension measurements are used for a range of applications including:
- Thin Film Scale-Up
- Material/Solvent Compatability
- Substrate Cleaning
- Hydrophobic Coatings
Contact Angle Goniometer
| Measurement Accuracy | ± 1o |
| Measurement Range | 5o - 180o |
| Overall Product Dimensions | Width: 100 mmHeight: 100 mmDepth: 300 mm |
| Stage Area | 50 mm x 50 mm |
| Maximum Sample Thickness | 20 mm |
| Maximum Camera Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
Syringe Specifications
| Syringe Volume | 25 µl |
| Needle Diameter | 0.47 mm |
| Needle Length | 51 mm |
| Tip Shape | Blunt |
Software Requirements
| Supported Operating Systems | Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 10 (64 bit) |
| Minimum Monitor Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| Required Hard Drive Space | 450 MB |
The Contact Angle Goniometer comes complete with user-friendly measurement software. This software is designed to be as intuitive as possible, however we also provide guides on how to use it most effectively.
This PC software has two main interactive sections: recording and analysis. The analysis section allows the user to measure contact angle and surface tension.
Recording
Capture high-resolution videos in the recording section of the software. The Videos will automatically be saved to destination of your choosing and are saved in .avi file format, which means you can watch them in any common video player or edit them in a video editor. When loaded into the contact angle software, the videos will appear as a series of images which can be analysed individually. The video below shows a droplet being dispensed and recorded using the Contact Angle software.
Analysis
Measure contact angle and surface tension of your recorded droplets in the analysis section of the software. The software performs an edge detection algorithm on the droplet, then uses an appropriate fitting technique to calculate its properties.
Contact Angle
For droplets with contact angles above 10o, a polynomial curve is fitted to the droplet edge. Where the curve crosses the baseline, its tangent is used to determine the contact angle.
If a droplet is below 10o, then a circle fit is used for contact angle measurements instead.
For more information on contact angles and droplet fitting, please see our contact angle theory and measurement guide guide.
Surface Tension
The software can also perform optical tensiometry measurements on droplets suspended from a needle tip. A series of droplet models are created using the droplet radius and liquid density. The models are compared with the detected edge and the closest match is used to determine the surface tension of the liquid.
The video below shows the meausurement of a contact angle using the Contact Angle Software.
Contact angle measurements are a fundamental tool in researching a huge variety of topics. Almost any field of materials science can learn something from a contact angle measurement. The examples given below are just a few of the many applications that the goniometer can be used for.
Thin Film Scale-Up - For solution-processable technologies such as perovskite solar cells or OLEDs, moving from laboratory-scale device fabrication to a commercial scale is one of the great challenges in research. Scalable deposition techniques are being used to create increasingly large devices. For instance, a researcher who usually fabricates devices using a spin coater may want to create larger devices by using a slot-die coater. To do this, they will require new inks with different wettability levels. The Contact Angle Goniometer allows them to quickly identify the solutions that will wet to a substrate surface and form uniform thin-films.
Material/Solvent CompatabilityWhen solution processing thin film electronic devices, it is common to deposit a new material layer on top of another previously-deposited layer. The choice of solvent and processing technique will determine whether or not this is possible. If the first layer in the stack can be dissolved in the same solvent as the second, damage can occur. A contact angle measurement can help you find out if the solution you deposit is penetrating the layer that is is deposited onto.
Substrate Cleaning - The contact angle of a droplet is partly determined by the surface on which it is deposited. The goniometer can therefore be a useful tool for determining substrate cleanliness and making sure there are no unwanted pieces of dust or dirt on the substrate. For example, when using an UV ozone cleaner to remove organic contaminants from an ITO substrate, a contact angle measurement allows you to directly measure the success of your technique.
Hydrophobic Coating - Sometimes we do not want a solution to wet well to a surface, and coatings are developed to force a liquid to dewet upon contact. The goal of a hydrophobic coating is therefore to create a high contact angle between a liquid and a substrate. A contact angle goniometer is a required piece of equipment for studying and improving these coatings.
To the best of our knowledge the technical information provided here is accurate. However, Ossila assume no liability for the accuracy of this information. The values provided here are typical at the time of manufacture and may vary over time and from batch to batch.
