Comparatively Speaking: Static vs. Dynamic Measurement of Surface Tension
Figures
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Figure 1. Forces that occur during the application of a formulation
Figure 1. Forces that occur during the application of a formulation
Figure 1 illustrates the different forces in play during the complex situation of applying the formulation.
By: Anthony J. O'Lenick, Jr., Siltech LLC
Posted: December 2, 2009
Previously, a surfactant was defined as a surface active agent with two or more groups that are not soluble in one another in their pure form. In addition it was stated that a surfactant must be soluble and lower surface tension. Surface tension determines the properties of formulations. The question is: How does one measure surface tension?
The Department of Energy, Argonne Laboratories states, “There are many methods for measuring the surface tension of liquids. Each has its advantages and limitations. There is a reason why there are different methods: surface tension is a very complicated property of a liquid. It depends upon many variables, some of which are: temperature, composition of the liquid (it may be a solution or contain small amounts of substances that affect the surface tension), measurement time, the material of construction of the apparatus, and the viscosity of the liquid.”
Since realistically, there is more than one surface tension in a liquid—it should be referred to as the plural tensions—measurements of this characteristic can vary depending upon the method used.
One category of methods is based on the angle of contact a liquid makes to a solid surface. The solid may be a flat horizontal plate, a tilted plate, a vertical plate or the walls of a thin tube (capillary). Assuming the variables noted above are all under control, these methods have a common limitation in that the angle of contact is difficult to measure accurately. Everybody "sees" the angle a bit differently, and this difference results in a different surface tension value. In each case, the liquid/solid contact may be stationary or it may be moving.
A second category of methods is based on the shape of a drop of the liquid. The drop may be hanging stationary, it may be dripping, or it may be resting on a flat plate. The "problem" with this class of methods is that the mathematical analysis of the shape of a drop and the surface tension of the liquid is complicated. In fact, the relation between the shape and surface tension must be solved numerically since the formulas do not have a direct solution.