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A federal research team needed contact angles on coated white polyester. The fabric fought the camera, so we changed the setup around it.

Last Updated
October 18, 2026
Industria
Government research: biomaterials and coatings
Organisation
Canadian federal research organisation
Location
Canada
Customer since
2021
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Drop shape method validated against a KRUSS DSA100E in peer review Portable kit of about 1 kg that sets up in about 2 minutes Live support on hard, low contrast samples

A Canadian federal research team developing water repellent coatings bought a manual Dropometer in 2021 to measure water contact angle on coated white polyester fabric, polystyrene and glass. White, rough fabric is one of the hardest samples to image. Lighting guidance, a live session, a fabric holder prototype and a software update followed, and the team used the instrument to generate data for a potential manuscript.

Droplet Lab Dropometer contact angle kit, product photo, not the client's setup
Abhimanyu Photo
Escrito por
Abhimanyu Bhandankar
Holds an MBA from Schulich School of Business and a BE in IT. He joined Droplet Lab in July 2019 and now leads sales and marketing.
CEO at Droplet Lab
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Gurdeep-Saini-Photo
Technical Review by
Gurdeep Singh Saini
Holds a BASc in Mechanical Engineering from Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) and an MASc from York University. He develops the automatic edge and baseline detection behind the Dropometer's analysis.
COO at Droplet Lab
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Abhimanyu Photo
Written By

Abhimanyu Bhandankar

CEO at Droplet Lab

Holds an MBA from Schulich School of Business and a BE in IT. He joined Droplet Lab in July 2019 and now leads sales and marketing.

Gurdeep-Saini-Photo
Reseña escrita por

Gurdeep Singh Saini

COO at Droplet Lab

Holds a BASc in Mechanical Engineering from Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) and an MASc from York University. He develops the automatic edge and baseline detection behind the Dropometer's analysis.

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Primary outcome: contact angle in house on coated fabric, polystyrene and glass

Surfaces the team measured on the Dropometer

Coated white polyester fabric, polystyrene and glass

Before delivery (June 2021) 0 surfaces measured in house
By August 2022 3 surface types measured

The instrument arrived on 17 June 2021. Polystyrene and glass gave readable angles in the first week. White polyester needed more: lighting guidance, a live session on 7 July 2021, a fabric holder prototype in August 2022 and a software update in May 2023. In August 2022 the team reported using the instrument to generate data for a potential research manuscript. Values have not yet been shared with us.

3 surface types

Coated white polyester fabric, polystyrene and glass.

20 days

From delivery on 17 June 2021 to a live session on white fabric images.

1 fabric holder

Prototype built to hold woven fabric flat, received August 2022.

1 software update

Installed on the team's phone in May 2023.

Executive Summary

Who

A research team in a Canadian federal research organisation working on biomaterials and coatings. Its projects include water repellent coatings for textiles and coatings made from biomass derived materials.

Problem

The team needed water contact angle on coated white polyester fabric. White, rough fabric gives little contrast between drop and surface, and woven texture makes the baseline uneven, so early images gave calculation errors and different angles on each side of the drop.

Solución

A manual Dropometer with the contact angle app and a sessile stage. Droplet Lab changed the lighting advice, ran a live session, supplied a new syringe, built a fabric holder prototype and later updated the software.

Time to Value

February 2021: enquiry after finding Droplet Lab on YouTube. 18 March 2021: live demo. 11 May 2021: purchase order. 17 June 2021: received. 7 July 2021: live session on white fabric. August 2022: fabric holder prototype; data for a potential manuscript. May 2023: software update installed.

Results

The team measured coated fabric, polystyrene and glass, and in August 2022 reported using the instrument to generate data for a potential research manuscript. Measurement values have not yet been shared with us.

Highlights

3

Surface types measured

20 days

Delivery to live session

2021

Customer since

1

Fabric holder prototype

“We are currently using the Droplet Lab product towards the generation of data for a potential research manuscript.”

The client, at a glance

Research focus

Biomaterials and coatings research.

Products / applications

Water repellent coatings for textiles; coatings made from biomass derived materials.

Measurement stage

Applied research in a government lab.

Users

Technical officers, with the team lead.

Materials and surfaces tested

Coated white polyester fabric, polystyrene and glass.

Key constraints

White, rough fabric with low contrast; advancing and receding angles wanted later.

The challenge: a drop on white fabric is hard to see

Contact angle software needs a sharp edge between the drop and the surface.

Calculation errors and uneven sides

Within a week of delivery the team reported that most images gave calculation errors, and some gave very different angles on each side of the drop. Woven texture makes the baseline under the drop uneven. Roughness also changes the angle itself, as the Wenzel model describes. Fibre shape matters too: a University of Calgary study of electrospun polystyrene fibres links fibre morphology to hydrophobicity.

More than one kind of surface

Besides coated fabric, the team measured polystyrene and glass, and planned coatings made from biomass derived materials. The setup had to work on flat and rough samples alike. Glass is also the starting point of our superhydrophobic glass experiment.

What success would require

Clean drop images on white fabric, a way to hold woven samples flat, and contact angles the team could use in a research manuscript. That calls for a reproducible contact angle method. Fabric labs often pair contact angle with drop tests such as AATCC TM193.

The insight: on a hard sample, change the setup before blaming the sample

What Was Deployed

A manual Dropometer contact angle and surface tension kit, set up for contact angle only: the contact angle app, a sessile stage and manual dispensing. For white polyester, Droplet Lab advised a dim room and then a lamp above the sample to sharpen the drop outline, worked through images with the team in a live session, and later built a fabric holder prototype for woven fabric. A software update followed in May 2023. The readings use the sessile drop analysis described in our contact angle measurement guide, and our own reference readings are being prepared as an open reference dataset.
The Origin

From a YouTube video to a demo and a reference check

In February 2021 the team lead found Droplet Lab on YouTube and asked for a quote. A live demo followed on 18 March 2021. Before buying, the team also spoke with an academic user of the instrument.

In April 2021 the team lead wrote that there were no issues with the demo or the reference, and that the team was looking forward to using the device in its research. The purchase order followed on 11 May 2021.

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Decision Rationale

Why the manual version

In the March 2021 demo the team asked to see both the manual and automatic versions, then ordered the manual version for contact angle only.

Option A

Automatic version

Contact angle with automatic dispensing.

Not chosen.
Option B

Manual version, contact angle

Manual dispensing, sessile stage and the contact angle app.

Chosen
The manual version with the contact angle app covered the team's first need: water contact angle on coated surfaces. Most of the support effort that followed went to lighting and to holding white, woven polyester, which neither version changes. Labs weighing a portable kit against a full research goniometer can compare options in our guide to the best contact angle goniometer for advanced research.

Next Step

Measuring contact angle on fabrics, textiles or other hard samples?

White, rough and woven samples are among the hardest for contact angle. Send us a sample or book a 15-minute consult and we will show you the lighting and mounting that work on it. The drop shape method is validated against a KRUSS DSA100E in peer review.

Request a quote Book a 15-minute consult

Rollout timeline

Timeline (high level)

February to May 2021: Discovery and order

  • Enquiry after a YouTube video
  • Live demo on 18 March
  • Reference check with an academic user
  • Purchase order on 11 May

June to July 2021: Delivery and first images

  • Received 17 June
  • Calculation errors on white polyester reported 23 to 25 June
  • Dim room and an added lamp advised
  • Live session on 7 July

August 2021 to July 2022: Support

  • Syringe broken in August 2021; new syringe received in June 2022
  • Fabric holder designed with the team's input on stretching and tension
  • Issues raised on a call: advancing and receding angles, and white fabrics

August 2022: Fabric holder

  • Fabric holder prototype received 5 August 2022
  • Review call set for 17 August 2022
  • Team reports generating data for a potential manuscript (31 August 2022)

May 2023: Software update

Updated version installed on the team's phone (19 May 2023)

Proof and validation: what we can show so far

Test method

Sessile drop water contact angle on coated white polyester fabric, polystyrene and glass.

Sample size and operators

Technical officers and the team lead. Sample counts not shared.

Repeatability / reproducibility

Not yet reported.

Notes / assumptions

The team has not shared measurement values with Droplet Lab, and none are shown here. Whether the fabric holder and later updates fully solved the white fabric images has not been confirmed. Results will be added only with the client's approval.

Outcomes to date

Measured Outcomes

3

Surface types measured

Coated white polyester fabric, polystyrene and glass, measured in house.

20 days

Delivery to live session

Received 17 June 2021; live session on the white fabric images on 7 July 2021.

Aug 2022

Data for a potential manuscript

In August 2022 the team reported using the instrument to generate data for a potential research manuscript.

Operational Outcomes

In house contact angle

Coated surfaces measured on the team's own bench.

Setup for hard samples

Lighting guidance and a fabric holder prototype for white, woven fabric.

Lesson for us

White and woven samples need lighting and mounting advice from day one, not after the first errors.

What's next

Delivered

Manual Dropometer with contact angle app (June 2021)
Fabric holder prototype (August 2022) and software update (May 2023)

In Pilot

Fabric holder prototype on white polyester (feedback not yet shared)

Planned

Advancing and receding angles on fabric
Contact angle on coatings made from biomass derived materials
Measurement results, added to this page with the client's approval

Frequently asked questions

How do you measure contact angle on white fabric?

White, rough fabric gives little contrast between drop and surface, and woven texture makes the baseline uneven. For this team Droplet Lab advised a dim room and a lamp above the sample to sharpen the drop outline, worked through images in a live session, and built a fabric holder prototype for woven samples.

Which surfaces did the team measure?

Coated white polyester fabric, polystyrene and glass. The team first got readable angles on polystyrene and glass, then worked on the coated fabric with the lighting guidance and the fabric holder.

Which configuration did the team buy?

A manual Dropometer set up for contact angle only, with the contact angle app, a sessile stage and manual dispensing. The purchase order followed a live demo and a reference check with an academic user, and the instrument arrived on 17 June 2021.

Next Step

Measuring contact angle on fabrics, textiles or other hard samples?

White, rough and woven samples are among the hardest for contact angle. Send us a sample or book a 15-minute consult and we will show you the lighting and mounting that work on it. The drop shape method is validated against a KRUSS DSA100E in peer review.

Request a quote Book a 15-minute consult