Droplet Lab’s Education Kit

A Lab-Grade Learning Tool

3 Importance of Goniometers & Tensiometers in Lab

4 Why Droplet Lab's Educational Instrument is Superior

Introduction

Materials science is set to revolutionize various industries by introducing advanced materials that enhance superhydrophobicity, self-cleaning surfaces, anti-corrosion layers, and antimicrobial coatings. These innovations are not only transforming medical devices and aerospace engineering but also paving the way for significant technological breakthroughs.

Imagine room temperature superconductors, frictionless bearings, non-ablative and heatproof re-entry shields for spacecraft, efficient chemical catalysts, and new electrocatalysts improving green-energy generation processes. This branch of science is crucial for developing non-reactive biomedical implants, tissue engineering solutions, drug delivery systems, and enhancing overall biocompatibility. Innovations like Organs-on-a-Chip are already emulating tissues for rapid drug testing, reducing the need for animal experiments, and enhancing early disease detection.

Understanding these advancements begins with a comprehensive grasp of substance interactions at their interfaces—whether solid, liquid, gas, or vacuum. This knowledge starts with mastering concepts like surface tension, cohesion, and adhesion, using tools such as tensiometers and goniometers.

Why Surface Science Matters

Contact angle measurements have a wide range of applications. Plastic bags are fairly passé nowadays but they used to be heavily decorated by grocery stores with logos and other distinguishing marks. Paint or ink will not stick to polyethylene—the surface is not “wettable” without special processing.

An ultraviolet high-voltage, corona discharge “treater” is used to burn invisible microscopic pits in the surface, giving the ink molecules something to latch onto, making the print permanent. Chemical test pens are designed to reveal the level of “treat” the plastic has received (usually measured in dynes/cm2) to make sure the ink will adhere. It has to be a fast test, holding a continuous film for a fixed number of seconds before beading up, representing the drying time of the ink. These test markers are developed with tensiometers/goniometers.

Similarly, fabrics can be prepared with coatings of nano particles that prevent a droplet of liquid from overcoming its surface tension, being of such a size that the contact angle prevents “wetting” the surface. Consequently, the liquid will simply roll off of the material, leaving it dry. The nano-coatings are tested with tensiometers/ goniometers

The contact angle plays a major role, where if it is more obtuse, it has a higher resistance to wetting. One droplet with a contact angle (theta) of ninety degrees or less will have maximum wettability on a flat untreated surface (Fig 1). Facing a nano-coating Fig 1 Fig 2 Fig 3 with fixed distances and heights (Fig 2) the center portion of the drop may reach to the surface, but at the perimeter, the outer edge’s surface tension and more oblique contact angle will stop it from spreading.

Another drop, or the same liquid on an even finer nano-coating or treatment (Fig 3), could exhibit even greater resistance, allowing its intrinsic surface tension to resist reaching the surface below, and high enough to make even less contact nearby. This allows the drop to sit higher and have even less adhesion to the surface, and resultantly make it much more prone to sliding off that surface with relative ease. This phenomena was first observed on Lotus leaves and some other plants that refused to get wet.

Importance of Goniometers & Tensiometers in Lab

Having the right tools in educational settings significantly enhances the learning experience. Tensiometers and goniometers provide accurate and reliable data essential for teaching and experiments on contact angles, surface tension, cohesion, and adhesion. These tools simplify complex theories, making them more accessible and engaging for students, while allowing educators to focus on generating accurate data.

Students can learn about and create surfactants to make things more wettable, or the hows and whys of molecular coatings which make them less so. This is vitally important in learning, and ultimately in research and practical applications. Designing a procedure and process to make certain the paint applied to a car will maintain the layer, not bead up, and thoroughly dry before it reaches the end of the assembly line is essential.

However, modern lab-grade tensiometers & goniometers can cost thousands of dollars, whereas do-it-yourself kits can be somewhat useful, but require very strong skills, not just to design and build, but to implement, and maintain. Neither of those choices come with ready-made learning packages. Instead, you design your own syllabus, which requires training, experience and expertise. Traditional instruments also require professional installation, complex maintenance, large amounts of time, and extensive training.

Why Droplet Lab's Educational Instrument is Superior

What to Expect

Better measuring equipment leads to better results. However, it's essential to remember that complexity doesn't necessarily equate to quality or accuracy. Often, simplicity is superior. We don't use laser distance sensors or optical interferometers to measure the size of a sheet of paper—a ruler works just fine. With this in mind, let’s explore a modern piece of technology that simplifies measurements while offering precision: the Droplet Lab Education Kit.

Efficient Investigation

Instead of using the built-in computing of a powerful smartphone like in our flagship tool, the Dropometer), in this Educational Kit we utilize a 4K Wi-Fi camera with a 500-power digital zoom, that connects locally to your lab computer, making experimental record-keeping simple. Each student can have their own discrete set of records on the cloud or locally so they can track their progress.

To generate drops, a syringe is mounted on the sliding mid-stage. This stage is designed to move easily, secured by sturdy thumbscrews, achieving perfect focus during testing. For achieving the best view and contrast for samples, the LED backlight has fully adjustable brightness controls, and the camera has smooth angle adjustment.

Once set up, and connected to the computer, the student logs into their personal experiments or tests, and proceeds with their work in just seconds. The software is so sophisticated that it tells you exactly what to do, so with little to no training, you can be working right away.

Versatility and Accessibility

Typical commercial units are cumbersome, fixed in place, and often require a crew from the manufacturer to come in and install it properly. Another worker can’t “borrow it for a while”. Our kit is lightweight, portable, and can be assembled in minutes out-of-the-box. The intuitive User-Friendly s interface makes it simple and intuitive to operate for learners. The digital readout and auto-calculations of angles and surface tensions (etc.) make the whole process streamlined and efficient. The included software is so sophisticated, that mistakes are very unlikely, when following its step-by-step instructions.

Comprehensive Support

We offer extensive support, including user manuals, video tutorials, and customer service. Instructors will appreciate our Plug & Play Package, and enjoy ready-made experiments designed to help educators and students; this makes it easy for both to maximize the kit's potential.

Durability and Precision

The core technology in our kit, backed by peerreviewed research, has been used by Fortune 500 companies and Ivy League universities. Warranted for a year, with unlimited support, the robust build quality means this device will be around and working for years to come, and maintaining its fundamental accuracy. Even in the hands of students it should fare exceptionally well.

Cost

At just $1000 per kit, which includes robust hardware and lifetime licenses for contact angle and surface tension measurement, our Education Kit offers unbeatable value. This affordability allows for a favorable instrument-to-student ratio, enhancing experiential learning and improving educational outcomes.

Let’s Reward Curiosity

Compare a student faced with pages of complex directions for a lab grade Goniometer vs. the Education Kit eliminating all the excruciating minutia. You’ll see your students obtaining meaningful results right away. Eliminate the needless complexity of traditional instruments; favor a streamlined approach to measurement that is both efficient and effective. Now—instead of crushing enthusiasm—you provide immediate tangible results. This modern piece of technology is not just a tool; it’s a gateway to deeper understanding and exploration in the lab.

Comparison of Options

Let’s compare the features and benefits of our Education Kit vs. the alternatives., demonstrating why they are a must-have for any educational lab.

Price

$1,000

$5,000

>$200 → unlimited

Ease of Assembly

Easy, no experience required, taking ~10 minutes

Training required or professional installation; lengthy installation time

Very complex—requires significant DIY skills and experience

Usability

User-friendly and ideal for students

Requires training and time

Varies depending on DIY skills, but far less intuitive

Educational Content

Ready-made experiments for teachers to deploy

Limited. Requires creation, design, and presentation by user

None at all. All educational material must be created

Software Integration

Pre-integrated with Dropbox, Box, and OneDrive. Further choices can be added as needed

Proprietary, advanced

Manual integration required

Accuracy

High, backed by peer-reviewed research

High, lab-grade

Variable depending on the DIY skill level and user design

Support & Training

Comprehensive support, easy to use

Available, but requires significant training

Limited—relies on community forum support

Maintenance

Low, minimal maintenance required

Moderate

High levels & DIY dependent; when it breaks, you fix it.

Conclusion

Ultimately, while complex instruments have their place in advanced research, simplicity and accuracy are often key in educational settings. Our Education Kit embodies this principle, offering a modern, efficient, and user-friendly tool for educators. Unlike traditional instruments, this lightweight, portable device ensures ease of use without sacrificing precision.

By integrating our kit into your learning curriculum, you’ll be helping students get to usable results faster; you will be enhancing the precision of your experiments, and providing product designers and students with hands-on experience using industryrelevant technology. The Education Kit has a versatile and affordable design making it an ideal choice for educational institutions, bridging theoretical knowledge with practical application.

Contact us today to discover how you can benefit by avoiding the enormous cash outlays for machines that may not be as capable, are difficult to share, and often require extensive setup. Embrace the simplicity and accuracy of the Education Kit to elevate your experimental capabilities and foster a deeper understanding of surface science principles.