Interfacial Tension and Contact angle Measurements

Structural & Morphology Characterization (Surface/overlayer/interface characterisation)

The characterization of liquid-air and liquid-liquid interfaces in the presence of nanoparticles and/or surfactants is a strategic tool in various fields including the understanding of industrial technologies based on the use of liquid interfaces (chemical technologies, separative processes, multiphase flows, etc.), on innovative methods of environmental monitoring of pollutants based on interfacial properties or on industrial applications of emulsions and foams (ex. oil industry, foods, cosmetics & healthcare, printing). For the productions of films and 3D structure moreover, it is important to assess the rheology of the systems produced (inks, pastes, etc.) in order to optimize the production process.

The main techniques/set-ups available for the related characterization are:

a) Liquid and liquid/solid interfaces:

Drop/bubble profile and pressure analysis tensiometers for surface tension measurements, interfacial rheology in liquid-liquid and liquid-gas systems on various timescales, wetting and wettability studies: Drop shape, Maximum Bubble Pressure, Oscillating Drop tensiometers, yTensiometer for liquid films and bubbles/drops coalescence (DBMM)
Langmuir Trough set-up with tensiometry, ellipsometry, and Brewster Angle Microscopy, for monolayers studies.

b) Functional properties of nanofluids and emulsions, such as stability, thermal diffusivity, heat capacity.

c) Dispersions characterization:
measure of the Particle Size Distribution PSD, Dynamic Light Scattering DLS, measure of the Zeta potential by electrophoretic Light Scattering or Electrophoretic kinetic techniques.

provided at NFFA-Europe laboratories by:

CNR-DSCTM

Italy

CSIC-ICMAB

Spain

FORTH

Greece

provided by:

EURONANOLAB

France

Instruments datasheets

EURONANOLAB

France

ITCAM at EURONANOLAB - IEMN

EURONANOLAB

France

ITCAM at EURONANOLAB - LAAS

CNR-DSCTM

Italy

Interfacial Tension and Contact angle Measurements - ISSMC

provided at NFFA-Europe laboratories by:

CNR-DSCTM

Italy

CSIC-ICMAB

Spain

FORTH

Greece

provided by:

EURONANOLAB

France

Also consider

Structural & Morphology Characterization

SEM Scanning Electron Microscopy

In SEM a beam is scanned over a sample surface while a signal from secondary or back-scattered electrons is recorded. SEM is used to image an area of the sample with nanometric resolution, and also to measure its composition, crystallographic phase distribution and local texture.

Nano to Micro/Macro

LSIVP Laser surface and in-volume Patterning

Laser patterning is a technique for the controlled patterning of materials at micro- and nano-scales. It offers the ability to directly write patterns on the surface and complex 3D channels into the bulk of solid materials, also biomaterials. Applications can range from microfluidic systems and sensors to tissue engineering scaffolds.

Nano to Micro/Macro

DSC Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)

Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) measures the difference in the amount of heat required to increase the temperature of a sample and reference as a function of temperature and therefore considers its energetic variation.

Nano to Micro/Macro

TGA Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA)

The thermal analyses are the set of techniques in which a physical property of a substance is measured as a function of temperature (or time) while the sample is subjected to a controlled temperature program (heating, cooling, isotherm).

Growth & Synthesis

SMP Soft matter preparation

Different nanochemical methodologies are offered to prepare nanomaterials (nanoparticles, nanowires, nanodots, self-assembled monolayers, films, nanoparticles, liposomes, emulsions, vesicles, etc). Among the systems that can be prepared are organic, hybrid organic-organic organic-inorganic, polymeric and biomaterial systems.