Research Grade Video-Based OCA 15
Optical Contact Angle Measuring System

The OCA 15 is the budget-priced R&D instrument for automated video-based contact angle metrology and drop shape analysis. It can be easily upgraded to OCA20, OCA30, OCA40M or OCAH200 models with additional capabilities and extended specs.

It features proprietary software-controlled measurement and analysis of

  • Contact Lamella Method on any liquid including pastes and polymer melts.
  • Static and dynamic contact angle according to the Sessile and Captive Drop Methods as well as the analysis of the drop shape according to the Pendant Drop Method.
  • Wetting behavior of solid surfaces.
  • Surface energy of solids surfaces and their components for Work of Adhesion/calculation. Surface and interfacial tension through the analysis of the Pendant Drop Shape Method.

The OCA 15 consists of the basic instrument with the following technical equipment:

  • Dosing bay for installation of single or multiple (max. 4) syringe units including needle support with vertical and horizontal fine adjustments. Alternatively, a direct dosing unit with one electronic syringe unit is also available.
  • Measuring stage, adjustable in three axes for accurate sample positioning.
  • Lens mount with adjustable tilt.
  • High-performance six-fold power zoom lens with an integrated continuous fine focus.
  • Video system with adapter and CCD-camera.
  • High-performance video digitizing board (frame grabber) for PC.
  • Halogen lighting with continuously adjustable intensity without hysteresis for a homogeneous back lighting.
  • Power supply with automatic voltage adjustment.

The 32-bit proprietary Windows NT based software (SCA) developed for Windows 2000/XP offers various expansion modules

  • Static and dynamic contact angle measurement according to the Sessile and Captive Drop Method
  • Calculation of the surface and interfacial tension from the contours of pendant and sessile drops as well as from liquid lamellas on plates, rods and threads.
  • Calculation of free energy of solids?surfaces and their components (e.g. dispersion, polar and hydrogen bond force contribution, and their respective acid and base portions) according to the theories of Wu, Zisman, Owens-Wendt, Extended Fowkes, Schultz 1, Schultz 2, Fowkes, Equation of State, and van Oss & Good (FOCG).
  • Statistics and measurement error analysis