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Ring-plate vs. bubble pressure for nickel plating surface tension

I am not familiar with the method of bubble pressure for surface tension measurements. Is it as sound as the ring-plate method? Any major disadvantages? My application is the daily testing of surface tension in a Nickel Sulfamate bath.

Chad Nicewonger
Plating shop - Titusville, Pennsylvania, United States
2004

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The Bubble Pressure Method gives you a dynamic surface tension. Unlike the static methods by plate or ring, new surfaces will be generated with each bubble. The lifetime of the bubble can be controlled depending of the instrument in a range of ms up to 100s. This way, time-dependent surface tension values can be obtained. This is especially from interest in fast wetting processes. Further advantage of up to date bubble pressure tensiometer is the easy handling in comparison to Static Tensiometer (Cleaning and Calibrating). Surfactant concentration in metal cleaning baths or galvanic baths can be monitored in a broad surfactant concentration range, also above the CMC (critical micelle concentration). A new hand-held instrument is newly available.

Veit Huber
- Dresden, Saxony, Germany
2004