Contact angle and surface tension results as a basis for targeted development of coating
formulations
An effective and reliable method for assessing and predicting coating performance is of critical importance in new
material development/quality control. Particularly in the case of multi-layer systems, careful fine-tuning of individual
components is essential to achieving good wetting and therefore coatability. With suitable measurement methods, it is
possible to predict the behavior of multi-layer systems in regards to coatability. Such methodology is an indispensable
tool for guiding additive selection, and significantly reduces the time and cost associated with (re)formulation.
In this study, contact angle and surface tension measurements of an automotive primer (cured) and basecoat (liquid),
respectively, were used to form a complete description of the coating/substrate system. The presented analysis includes
values calculated from the aforementioned measurements, i.e. surface free energy, (with polar and disperse fractions),
work of adhesion, spreading coefficient, interfacial tension, and “wetting envelope”. The results show how a polyether
macromer-modified polyacrylate additive was used to optimize substrate coatability.
