When a liquid meets a solid, the angle formed at the three-phase boundary is the contact angle (θ). This “wetting angle” quantifies how well a liquid wets a surface and is a powerful indicator of wettability, cleanliness, adhesion potential, and surface treatment effectiveness. SEAM’s new contact angle system lets Irish manufacturers rapidly validate surfaces before coating, bonding, printing, or sterilising—reducing failures and speeding up decision-making.
What we do
We measure static and dynamic contact angles and calculate surface free energy (SFE) using multi-liquid methods. Results help you confirm whether a surface is truly ready for paint, adhesive, ink, solder, or bio-fluid contact—and whether a treatment (e.g., plasma, corona, chemical clean) actually worked.
Key features
-
Static & dynamic angles: advancing/receding angles and hysteresis for real adhesion insights
-
Time-resolved wetting: high-speed drop imaging and contact angle vs. time
-
Surface energy calculations: polar/dispersive components from multiple test liquids
-
Tilting/roll-off measurements: quantify droplet mobility and contamination effects
-
Small sample friendly: metals, polymers, glass, ceramics, films, 3D prints, medical components
-
Treatment verification: pre/post-process comparisons (plasma, corona, chemical clean)
-
Optional environments: temperature/conditioning stages (where required)
-
Non-destructive: preserve valuable parts for further testing (CT, FTIR, DSC, etc.)
Benefits for your process
-
Improve adhesion reliability: right first time for coatings, inks, and adhesives
-
Reduce rework & rejects: catch low-energy or contaminated surfaces before production
-
Validate suppliers: prove surface readiness with defensible lab data
-
Optimise switch to water-based chemistries: ensure wetting without aggressive solvents
-
Shorten investigations: link delamination/print issues to measurable surface causes
-
Document compliance: clear reports for audits, PPAP/FAI, and customer evidence
Typical applications
-
Paint/ink/coating readiness • Adhesive bonding & sealants • Printing & packaging
-
Medtech device surfaces & cleanliness verification • Electronics/solder mask wetting
-
Polymer processing changes (mould release, ageing, additives) • Plasma/corona optimisation
Contact us:
Have a coating, bonding, or printability challenge? Contact SEAM to schedule contact angle testing or combine it with FTIR/DSC/CT for full root-cause analysis.