How to Measure Contact Angles with the Goniometer

How to measure contact angles

To measure contact angles with the Goniometer, use the following steps:

Begin by attaching the tilt stage to the base.
Take the time to carefully adjust the screws on the tilt stage to ensure that it is perfectly level.
Next, proceed to attach the clamping mechanism to the tower securely.
After that, attach the syringe to the clamping mechanism, ensuring it is firmly in place.
To power the system, plug in both the USB and power cables and then switch the system on.
Start the camera and adjust the lens manually to achieve the desired focus.
Once the lens is correctly focused, secure it in place.
Place the substrate on the tilt stage where you intend to carry out your experiment.
Carefully raise the tilt stage until it is in close proximity to the needle.
Within the system's software, select the 'Video' mode.
Choose a name for the video you are about to capture.
Prepare to release a droplet from the syringe.
Initiating the recording process, click on the 'Record' button.
Dispense the droplet onto the substrate as per your experimental requirements.
Allow the recording to continue until the desired data is collected.
Once the recording is complete, stop the camera.
Switch to the 'Analyse' tab within the software.
Open the video file you just recorded.
Navigate to the specific frame within the video that you want to analyse.
Adjust the region of interest (ROI) to surround the droplet in the chosen frame.
Establish the baseline for your analysis using the bottom of the ROI.
Finally, click on the 'Analyse' button to initiate the analysis process.

For further information about the Ossila Goniometer, see 'Contact Angle Goniometer'.

Resources and Support

Contact Angle: A Guide to Theory and Measurement

This guide will explain what a contact angle is and how it is measured. It will also show you how the Ossila Contact Angle Goniometer works and how to get the best measurement results.

A Guide to Surface Energy

Surface free energy is a measure of the excess energy present at the surface of a material, in comparison to at its bulk. It can be used to describe wetting and adhesion between materials.

Contact Angle Measurements of Surface Wetting

Surface wetting occurs when a droplet spreads out over a surface, such that its contact angle is below 90°. When the droplet spreads out completely, this angle will be 0°, and 'complete wetting' will have occurred.

Contact Angle Measurements on Uneven Surfaces

In this guide we will use the Ossila Contact Angle software to measure a droplet on an uneven surface.

Ossila Contact Angle Goniometer User Manual

The Ossila Contact Angle Goniometer provides a fast, reliable, and easy method to measure the contact angle or surface tension of a droplet.

Software and Drivers

The latest software and drivers including our cyclic voltammetry software for the Ossila Potentiostat and more.