Measurement of contact angles at room temperature in high magnetic field

The contact angle (CA) goniometer adaptable to a superconducting magnet was developed based on the sessile drop method. The goniometer mainly consisted of the sampling system, the supporting system, and the image acquisition system. Some improvements were taken to avoid the effects of the magnetic field (MF) on the CA measurement. As an example, the CAs of water on two substrates of silica and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) were measured using the goniometer. The results with and without a MF showed a good repeatability and reliability. Additionally, the MF was found to reduce the CA of water, which probably stemmed from the change of the surface tension in the MF. The CA goniometer will become an important tool which is used to study the wettability of liquids on a solid in the MF. Published by AIP Publishing.