Device and method to measure wetting characteristics
AssigneeBrighton Technologies Group, Inc
InventorsRaymond Giles Dillingham, Eric Shepherd Oseas, Andrew Davison Gilpin, Francis Charles Ganance
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Abstract
Described herein are a device and method for measuring the wetting characteristics of a liquid on a surface of a material by depositing a volume of liquid on the surface of the material, imparting kinetic energy to the liquid, and obtaining information about the geometry of the volume of the liquid on the surface. The device includes a liquid dispensing component, a kinetic energy imparting component, a position determining component, and a data generating component.
Claims20
A device for measuring the wetting characteristics of a liquid on a surface of a material comprising:
- a housing, a liquid dispensing component, a kinetic energy imparting component, a position determining component, and a data generating component,
- wherein the liquid dispensing component is configured to deposit a volume of a liquid on the surface of the material;
- wherein the kinetic energy imparting component is configured to impart kinetic energy in the form of vibration to the volume of liquid on the surface of the material;
- wherein the position determining component is configured to convey information about the position of the device relative to the volume of liquid on the surface of the liquid and to convey information about at least one of the distance of the data generating component from the surface and the angle of the data generating component relative to the surface;
- and
- wherein the data generating component is configured to obtain information about the geometry of the volume of the liquid on the surface of the material.
A method for measuring the wetting characteristics of a surface of a material comprising:
- depositing a volume of liquid on the surface of the material;
- imparting kinetic energy to the volume of liquid in a manner that allows for free vibration of the liquid;
- wherein the vibration is of sufficient amplitude to facilitate attainment of an equilibrium contact angle between the liquid and the surface;
- and
- wherein the depositing of liquid on the surface of the material and the imparting kinetic energy to the volume of liquid is by the deposition of the volume of liquid to the surface of the material to form the volume of liquid;
- and
- obtaining information about the geometry of the volume of the liquid on the surface such that the geometry of the liquid formed after an equilibrium has been achieved can be determined.
A method for measuring the wetting characteristics of a surface of a material comprising:
- depositing a volume of liquid on the surface of the material;
- imparting kinetic energy to the volume of liquid in a manner that allows for free vibration of the liquid;
- wherein the vibration is of sufficient amplitude to facilitate attainment of an equilibrium contact angle between the liquid and the surface;
- and wherein the kinetic energy is imparted by at least one of an acoustic device and an elongated projection coupled to a device capable of imparting kinetic energy in the form of vibration to the projection;
- and
- obtaining information about the geometry of the volume of the liquid on the surface such that the geometry of the liquid formed can be determined after an equilibrium contact angle has been achieved.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.