Surface tension analysis
Your needs: measure the surface tension of your materials
The surface of a material is a vulnerable zone where many interactions with its environment take place. It conditions, by its specific characteristics, the global performances of materials. It can impact the reliability and the solidity of a product in case of failures (corrosion, wear, adhesion, friction...).
As far as surface tension is concerned, it is the molecules inside a condensed phase (liquid or solid) that are subjected to cohesive forces with their neighbors. These forces are felt only at short distances. For a molecule inside the liquid, these forces are balanced, which is not the case if the molecule is near the surface.
Surface tension measurement in industry
Surface tension testing is widely used across various industrial applications, as it directly affects the performance, quality, and efficiency of products and manufacturing processes.
This analytical technique helps evaluate how materials interact with media such as water, oils, and solvents.
Measurements are generally carried out using precision tensiometers or goniometers, providing accurate and reproducible data.
Below are some examples of applications where surface tension plays a key role in solving industrial challenges:
FILAB laboratory supports you with your surface tension challenges
For more than 30 years, FILAB laboratory has had the experience and specific analytical equipment to meet the needs of surface analysis and characterization on all types of materials (metallic, polymer, ceramic).
Thanks to a tailor-made support, FILAB laboratory offers you surface tension analysis such as
Our surface tension analysis services
Surface tension plays a decisive role in the development and optimization of products and manufacturing processes.
FILAB offers cutting-edge surface tension analysis services, designed to meet the specific challenges of each industry.
Among our surface tension testing capabilities, FILAB offers the following analytical techniques.
Surface tension analysis on solutions by the hanging drop method (digidrop).
Analysis of the interfacial tension of a solution.
Measurement of the surface tension on a polymer.
Surface tension analysis on medical devices.
Our technical resources for surface tension measurement
Surface tension is the force that governs how liquids interact with their environment. To measure this force, our laboratory is equipped with sophisticated and precise analytical instruments adapted to a wide variety of materials and formulations, such as the goniometer. This technique is ideal for assessing the wettability of surfaces and determining the surface tension of liquids.
FAQ
Measuring surface tension in a laboratory plays a key role in the development and optimization of industrial products and processes, directly impacting quality, efficiency, and innovation.
This type of surface analysis helps to understand and control the molecular interactions at liquid interfaces.
Indeed, through surface tension testing, laboratories can better understand the physico-chemical properties of fluids.
Surface tension has a significant influence on many aspects of materials, including their moisture resistance, wettability, and adhesion.
The surface of a material is a vulnerable zone where numerous interactions with the environment take place.
Its specific characteristics strongly influence the overall performance of the material and can directly affect reliability and durability.
Surface-related issues such as corrosion, wear, adhesion failure, or friction can compromise a product’s integrity. Understanding the surface properties is therefore essential to improve performance and longevity.
Surface tension measurement consists in determining the force required to break the surface of a liquid.
This property is responsible for phenomena such as capillarity, droplet formation, and adhesion.
The molecular attraction and repulsion forces at the liquid’s surface are governed by surface tension.
Using advanced instruments such as tensiometers and goniometers, FILAB can analyze the complex interfacial behavior of liquids with high accuracy.
The interfacial tension of a solution represents the forces acting at the interface between two phases.
These forces arise from the interactions between molecules of each phase — depending on their relative position and orientation.
Interfacial tension plays a major role in many physico-chemical processes, such as bubble formation, particle adhesion, and emulsion stabilization.
By measuring interfacial tension, it becomes possible to predict and optimize the behavior of multiphase systems in industrial applications.
Wettability is a key concept in surface and materials science.
It describes the ability of a liquid to spread across a solid surface, which depends on both the surface tension of the liquid and the surface energy and geometry of the solid.
Wettability can range from non-wetting behavior (where the liquid forms beads) to complete wetting, where the liquid spreads fully across the surface.
This property is essential in many applications, such as:
- Medical implants and biomaterials,
- Hydrophobic coatings and protective films,
- Synthetic textiles,
- Energy and surface engineering technologies.
