Surface energy

What ink has to do with Surface energy

Surface energy

... and what ink has to do with this

Surface energy is essential when considering how well a surface can be bonded. But did you know what ink has to do with this? Something very important. It can help to find out what the surface tension of a substrate is. This in turn determines how well or whether an adhesive tape adheres to the material.

 

Ink test

Simply place a drop of ink on the surface to be bonded.

If the ink spreads, the surface energy is high. It is sufficiently wetted and can therefore be bonded well. If droplets are formed instead, the surface energy is low and bonding is correspondingly more complex.

 

Overview

Low and high energy surfaces

Here is an overview of the most common materials and their surface energy. 

With 840 or 2030 mN/m, aluminium or iron belong to the high-energy surfaces and offer the adhesive good adhesion.

Low-energy surfaces, on the other hand, are for example PP (polypropylene) and PE (polyethylene). They have a surface energy of 29 and 31 mN/m respectively. However, even these substrates can be bonded without problems with the help of the appropriate pre-treatment.

 

Do you have any questions?

If you have any questions about bonding certain materials, please feel free to contact us. We will be happy to help you.

 

info@innotape.de
+49 5181 80687 0

 

Hello, what can we do for you?

Our team is ready to answer your questions and advise you.

+49 5181 80687-0
info@innotape.de

Annkathrin Grube

Do you have questions about other topics or would you like to learn more about specific applications? Then feel free to contact me.

 

I am looking forward to your input for our blog!

agr@innotape.de