arcotest® GmbHTesting the surface tension & cleanliness of surfaces

The variety of materials used in industry is constantly increasing. However, not all material surfaces are suitable for processes such as bonding, printing, painting, or coating. Therefore, it is essential to characterize the surface before further processing, as an unsuitable surface always leads to unsatisfactory results.

There are various methods to determine surface tension. A quick and inexpensive method is measurement using test inks and test pens. These are suitable for all plastic, glass, ceramic, and metal surfaces. Surface tension is determined by applying the test inks in a line a few centimeters long onto the surface to be evaluated and observing the behavior of the line.

As a leading manufacturer of test inks since 1976, arcotest GmbH offers a comprehensive range of inks, pens, and accessories that support the aforementioned surface treatment protocols.

Test inks & test pens PINK

PINK test inks are pink, non-toxic test liquids with a defined surface tension. They can be used as a replacement for BLUE test inks, as their application and handling comply with DIN 53364 and ISO 8296. PINK test inks are available in bottle or pen form.

Test inks & test pens BLUE

BLUE test inks are blue test liquids (in accordance with ISO 8296, and corresponding to DIN 53364, ASTM 2587, and JIS K 6768) with a defined surface tension.
The surface tension of the material to be tested is determined by simply applying the test inks. BLUE test inks are available with surface tensions ranging from 18.4 to 105 mN/m and are supplied in bottle or pen form (28–72 mN/m).

Colorless variants: 18, 76, 84, 90, and 105 mN/m
Toxic variants: from 24 to 57 mN/m

Test pen QUICKTEST® 38 mN/m

The QUICKTEST® 38 test pen is used to determine whether the pre-treatment of polyolefins (polypropylene, polyethylene, polybutylene) has been effective.

The liquid in the pen forms a continuous line on surfaces with a surface tension of approximately 38 mN/m or higher. On surfaces with lower surface tension, the liquid beads up and rolls off. The test line dries within seconds and does not need to be wiped off.

Advantages of QUICKTEST® 38:

• Easy to use
• Ideal for quick spot checks on polyolefins
• No wiping required – permanent visibility of the test result
• High readability due to distinctive red coloring