Contact angle measurement

Description

A measure of the wettability of a liquid on a solid. When a drop of liquid is placed on a material, the contact angle is the angle formed between the surface of the drop and a surface of the solid at the point of contact. When the drop remains nearly spherical, the angle of contact is high (close to 180) and there is little surface wetting. When the drop spreads out, the contact angle is low (close to 0) and there is good wettability.

Synonyms and Related Terms

angle of contact; Kontaktwinkelmessung (Deut.); mesure de l'angle de contact (Fr.);

Authority

• Matte Paint: Its history and technology, analysis, properties and conservation treatment, Eric Hansen, Sue Walston, Mitchell Bishop (ed.), J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, Vol. 30 of AATA, 1993