Surface analysis
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsDonato Casati, Fabio Mauri
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for estimating the adhesion properties of a surface of an article by holding the article so that the surface is facing downwards and placing a droplet of liquid against the surface. The volume of the droplet is incremented until the droplet reaches a critical weight at which some of the liquid drops for the action of the gravity force. The higher is the critical weight, the stronger the mutual adhesion forces between the liquid and the surface. If the characteristics of the liquid are kept constant, it is possible to obtain an immediate evaluation of the adhesiveness of a surface by comparing the measured critical weight with experimental results.
Claims13
A method for analysing the characteristics of a surface of an article, said method comprising the steps of:
- maintaining the article so that the surface faces downwards;
- incrementally dispensing a volume of liquid against the surface;
- and
- determining a measure indicative of the gravity force necessary to overcome the adhesion forces between the liquid and the surface.
An apparatus for estimating the adhesiveness of a surface of an article, the apparatus comprising:
- a holder for maintaining the article so that the surface of the article faces downwards;
- a dispenser for incrementally dispensing a volume of liquid against the surface;
- and
- a measuring structure for determining a measure indicative of the gravity force necessary to overcome the adhesion forces between the liquid and the surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.