ramé-hart Newsletter

                  

November 2018
 

Professor Robin Ras at Aalto University suggests that in evaluating the properties of new surfaces, it's important that a higher level of precision is used that extends beyond the simple static contact angle measurement. By capturing the maximum and minimum allowable contact angles and roll-off angle, one can better understand how liquids will interact with the surface in real world conditions. "It is crucial that we are able to conduct research based on shared and reliable standards," says Professor Robin Ras. The suggestion is that we move from reporting static contact angle to reporting advancing and receding contact angle. Many of our customers are steps ahead in an effort to move toward this practice.

Drop on Superhydrophobic Surface.
Photo Credit: Mika Latikka, Aalto University

To that end, ramé-hart offers three different models (Models 290, 590, and 790) which include both the Automated Dispensing System as well as the Automated Dispensing System. These highly automated instruments can all measure advancing and receding contact angles using either of the two most widely used methods - the add/remove volume method (with the Automated Dispensing System)² or the tilting plate method (using the Automated Tilting Base).³ All of our other models support the Automated Dispensing System as a option and most support either our Manual or Automated Tilting Base.

¹ See https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180710113439.htm.
² To watch the add/remove volume method, check out this video: https://youtu.be/1wh0VtnCIEs.
³ To see the tilting base method in action with the Automated Tilting Base, check out this video: https://youtu.be/UWMwSppjv6s.
 

Last month in October, we released our new Model 90, built from the ground up to be the most cost-effective contact angle goniometer currently on the market.² The Pro Edition of Model 90 ships with our new DROPimage Pro software which includes contact angle, surface energy, and surface tension tools. The Model 90 Base Edition ships with our DROPimage CA software.

Model 90 Pro Edition shown with Optional Fiber Optic Illuminator Upgrade

To be clear, DROPimage Pro does not replace our top-of-the-line DROPimage Advanced software. However, we've added a number of new features to the new v3 of Advanced, also recently released, including the Surface Tension Tool. DROPimage Advanced includes a methods-based experiment design tool and can perform advanced measurements such as surface dilatational elasticity and viscosity³ and is optimized for time-dependant studies. In short, no matter what your requirements are, we have an edition of DROPimage that is best for you: DROPimage CA measures contact angle and is included with our Base Edition of Model 90; DROPimage Pro (which replaces DROPimage Standard) is for general surface analysis and is optimized for contact angle, surface energy, surface tension, and interfacial tension; and DROPimage Advanced offers support for every available ramé-hart accessories and includes additional tools for advanced studies and dynamic analysis with powerful reporting, logging and graphing tools.

¹ If you missed the press release for DROPimage Pro, see it here.
² If you missed the press release for Model 90, see it here.
³ Add the Oscillator p/n 100-28 for rheological measurements.
 

The International Conference on Nature Inspired Surface Engineering (NISE), a multidisciplinary conference, will be held on June 12-14, 2019. The conference will be hosted at the Stevens Institute of Technology here in Northern New Jersey, USA. NISE chair is Dr. Chang-Hwan Choi, Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Stevens Institute of Technology. For more information on this conference, please visit http://ameriscience.org/nise-2019/.
 

Carl Clegg
Director of Sales
Phone 973-448-0305
www.ramehart.com
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