Surface Tension
Intermolecular forces at the boundary of a solid material determine its wetting behavior and adhesion characteristics. The term owens wendt surface energy defines the total surface energy of a substrate calculated as the sum of distinct disperse and polar contributions. This analysis allows converters to evaluate the printability of films and coated boards.
Component Analysis
Calculations of surface properties utilize contact angle measurements of at least two probe liquids with known polar and dispersive force components. In owens wendt surface energy calculations, one polar liquid like water and one dispersive liquid like diiodomethane are deposited on the substrate to determine the specific interaction types. This approach isolates the van der Waals interactions from hydrogen bonding and dipole-dipole forces acting at the interface.
Knowing these distinct components helps in predicting how well a specific ink or adhesive will wet and adhere to the surface.
Adhesive Bonding
Coating chemists and ink formulators use these values to match the surface chemistry of the substrate with the liquid phase. When owens wendt surface energy is too low, inks will fail to spread and may bead up, leading to poor print coverage and low rub resistance. Maintaining the correct balance between polar and disperse components prevents adhesion failure on high speed packaging lines.
