CSC Scientific Blog

A blog about test equipment

A Beginner's Guide to Surface Tension, Surfactants and Micelles

Posted by Art Gatenby on Oct 10, 2022 5:24:05 PM

Welcome to my beginner's guide to Surface Tension, Surfactants, and Micelles. In this blog, we'll be exploring the basics of these topics in order to better understand their role in industry and everyday life. Surface tension is a crucial property of a liquid that allows it to resist being pulled apart by gravity, and surfactants are molecules that can lower the surface tension of water. Micelles are spherical structures that are formed when surfactants reach a certain concentration in water, and they play an important role in many cleaning and industrial processes. We'll be discussing all of this and more in this blog, so let's get started!

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Topics: Tensiometer, Surface Tension, CMC, Micelles, surfactants

Surface Tension by duNouy Rings or Wilhelmy Plates – Which to Choose?

Posted by Art Gatenby on Jul 16, 2018 5:34:18 PM

When tempted to think I know all there is about surface tension measurement, further information brings me back to earth. I’m conversant with the principal applications: surfactant analysis, plating, detecting contaminants, development of ink and the like. I have assisted customers to set up and calibrate duNouy Ring tensiometers for most applications -- all the while taking for granted that the Ring technique was the method of choice -- with only infrequent questions arising about Wilhelmy Plate tensiometers.

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Topics: Wilhelmy Plates, duNouy Rings, Tensiometer, Surface Tension, interfacial surface tension, Liquid Properties, surface tension instruments, surface tension analysis, Digital tensiometer, automatic Tensiometer

Should You Move to "Actual" Surface Tension?

Posted by Art Gatenby on Sep 8, 2016 4:31:38 PM

An understandable definition of surface tension: The attraction force between molecules at the surface of a liquid. The force that keeps if from flying off into space.

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Topics: Tensiometer, Surface Tension Measurement, Surface Tension, actual surface tension, apparent surface tension, Liquid Properties

Viscosity, Consistency and Surface Tension - What Are These Things?

Posted by Art Gatenby on Aug 27, 2014 12:56:00 PM

Nearly every day we have a question about differences between Viscosity, Consistency and Surface Tension. There is usually a second part of the question; 

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Topics: Viscometers, Viscosity, Bostwick Consistometer, Tensiometer, Surface Tension Measurement, Surface Tension, Liquid Properties

When Do I Need An Automatic Digital Tensiometer?

Posted by Art Gatenby on Dec 16, 2013 7:55:00 AM

 

Automatic digital tensiometers are expensive - three to four times more so than a high-precision manual tensiometer. We hope to clearly depict when an automatic digital tensiometer is not merely nice to have, but essential.

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Topics: Wilhelmy Plates, Automatic Digital Tensiometer, Automatic Surface Tension Measurment, "Ask Art", duNouy Rings, Tensiometer, Surface Tension Measurement, Surface Tension, Liquid Properties

What are the Primary Conditions Affecting Surface Tension?

Posted by Art Gatenby on Sep 23, 2013 12:42:00 PM

One of the ways to describe surface tension in fluids is: the property of a liquid’s surface that resists force. It serves as a barrier to foreign materials and holds the liquid together. This ever-present property is caused by unbalanced forces on surface molecules that pull toward the main part of the liquid.

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Topics: Wilhelmy Plates, Automatic Digital Tensiometer, Automatic Surface Tension Measurment, duNouy Rings, Tensiometer, Surface Tension Measurement, Surface Tension, Interfacial Tensiometer, Fisher Tensiomat, Liquid Properties, Digital tensiometer

Surface Tension Measurement -- How High Is High Enough?

Posted by Art Gatenby on Mar 29, 2013 5:12:00 PM

I am regularly startled by little things that trigger new understanding about our slice of the instrument World.  This time it is about surface tension.

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Topics: Automatic Surface Tension Measurment, duNouy Rings, Tensiometer, Surface Tension Measurement, Surface Tension, Liquid Properties

Is Calibrating a CSC Tensiometer Hard?

Posted by Art Gatenby on Mar 29, 2012 3:55:00 PM

We get repeated queries about calibration of our DuNouy Ring Tensiometers. That makes me think that calibrating procedures to insure accurate surface tension measurment needs some clarification.

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Topics: duNouy Rings, Tensiometer, Surface Tension, Calibration

Which Type of Tensiometer do I Need?

Posted by Art Gatenby on Dec 22, 2011 6:55:00 PM

As followers of these rants know, Fisher Scientific stopped offering its Tensiomat Tensiometer about a year ago. As a tensiometer manufacturer, we at CSC Scientific were very interestedin this and have tried to let the world know that we might be able to help with things such as replacement rings, trade-ins and the like.
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Topics: Wilhelmy Plates, Automatic Digital Tensiometer, duNouy Rings, Tensiometer, Surface Tension Measurement, Surface Tension, Fisher Tensiomat, Tensiomat Trade-In, Liquid Properties, Digital tensiometer, automatic Tensiometer

Why Calibrate a CSC DuNouy Tensiometer?

Posted by Art Gatenby on Sep 13, 2011 11:14:00 AM

Within the catalog of questions we are asked is a  category related to Calibrating duNouy Ring Tensiometers. The subject matter ranges from how, why and what is proven?

I guess the immediate and wise-assed answers are:

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Topics: duNouy Rings, Tensiometer, Surface Tension Measurement, Surface Tension, Calibration, Interfacial Tensiometer, Fisher Tensiomat, Liquid Properties

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