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Testing kit checks out surface properties

A Dyne Technology product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Mar 30, 2006

A novel testing kit in a handy carrying case can be used for measuring the surface energy of untreated or treated materials.

A novel testing kit in a handy carrying case can be used for measuring the surface energy of untreated or treated materials.

The kit contains, as standard, a range of six different test inks 36, 40, 44, 48, 50 and 56 Dynes (mN/m).

Alternatively customers can specify their own special requirements by choosing any six inks available in 2mN/m increments from 30 to 58 and 72mN/m.

The easy to use surface energy measuring kit contains nontoxic Dyne level testing inks - each 20ml bottle has its own integral brush applicator.

This form of measurement is based on the ASTM method for measuring the surface energy of polyethylene film.

When the Dyne test ink is applied to the surface, it will either form a continuous film on the surface or pull back into small droplets.

If the liquid remains as a film for 3s, the substrate will have a minimum surface energy of that ink value.

Should the Dyne test ink reticulate, the surface energy of the substrate is lower than that of the ink.

The exact surface energy of a substrate before and after corona treating or plasma treating can be determined by applying a range of increasing or decreasing values of Dyne test ink.

The purpose of corona and plasma surface treatment of polymer-based materials is to increase surface wettability through electrical discharge.

The low surface energy of polymer-based substrates often leads to poor adhesion of inks, glues and coatings.

To obtain optimum adhesion, it is necessary to increase the surface energy of the substrate to just above that of the material to be applied.

Surface treatment with either corona or plasma results in good wetting of the material over the surface of the substrate and so improves adhesion.

For optimum adhesion when printing, gluing or coating on various substrates, it is necessary to obtain a high surface energy, usually by corona treating or plasma treating the surface.

Determining the surface energy reached can be achieved by the use of surface energy (Dyne level) test inks from Dyne Technology .

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