What Does
Dyne Liquid Mean?
Dyne liquid is used to measure the surface energy of a substrate. Dyne liquids can fairly precisely bracket the numeric value of the surface energy of a material surface, e.g., between 40 and 42 dynes/cm.
Dyne is a unit of measurement used to determine the surface energy of a film or foil. Using a liquid test, measurement of surface energy can be obtained. The liquid is applied as a broad line in a thin layer with either a brush or a pen.
This method is commonly used for estimating the treatment level of plastic surfaces in manufacturing/production environments.
Corrosionpedia Explains Dyne Liquid
To obtain optimum adhesion, it is necessary to increase the surface energy of a substrate to just above that of the material to be applied. Determining the surface energy can be achieved by use of surface energy test liquids such as dyne liquids.
Dyne liquid testing involves using solutions made from a mixture of two chemicals that produce liquids (dyne) with surface tension in the range of 30-70 dynes/cm. When the dyne test liquid is applied to the surface, the liquid either forms a continuous film on the surface or pulls back into small droplets.
The test comprises placing droplets of the various dyne liquids on the treated surface and observing the spreading of the drops in three seconds; the substrate will have a minimum surface energy of that fluid value, expressed in mN/m (dynes). Should the dyne test liquids reticulate or draw back into droplets in less than one second, then the surface energy of the substrate is lower than that of the liquid itself. The exact surface energy (dyne level) can be determined by applying a range of increasing or decreasing values of dyne test liquid.
This method is subjective, but it provides a rapid means of assessment of the treatment level, particularly useful in a production environment. There are also pens that operate similarly to dyne liquids. A more quantitative approach is the measurement of contact angle, which decreases with an increase in treatment level. A perfect wetting liquid forms a contact angle of zero on the solid surface.