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Powder Wetting Tests: Packing Conditions Belong in the Method Record

A powder-wetting result depends on the specimen arrangement as well as the material. Record the packing and sample-preparation method when a laboratory uses a capillary-uptake approach.

Updated · NANOLAB Knowledge

The key distinction

KRUSS describes the Washburn method for porous and absorbent materials and identifies a capillary constant associated with the packed system. A result should therefore retain the preparation context rather than becoming a universal angle for any powder arrangement.

Practical checks

  1. Identify the powder sample and preparation method.
  2. Record the test liquid and relevant method inputs.
  3. Ask the laboratory how packing consistency was controlled.

Example

Illustrative example: two laboratories prepare the same powder differently and report different wetting results. The preparation records should be reviewed before attributing the difference to a changed raw material.

Scope and limits

Do not transfer a powder-wetting result directly to a finished coating film. These specimens and measurement questions are different, and each needs an applicable evaluation method.

Related guidance

Technical references: KRUSS: Washburn method. These sources describe their stated methods or products; they do not certify NANOLAB products or establish compatibility with an unlisted surface.

Ask NANOLAB about the exact product and intended use. Use the current product documentation for formulation-specific instructions.