D5946-17 – Standard Test Method Technical Guide

📐 Specimen Considerations for Corona-Treated Films

This standard, D5946-17, is specifically designed for measuring the contact angle of water on corona-treated polymer film surfaces. It is technically identical to ISO 15989. Proper specimen conditioning according to Practice D618 is critical to ensure that environmental factors do not introduce variability into the surface energy measurement. The scope strictly governs films treated by corona discharge to improve wettability for subsequent processing operations such as adhesion or printing.

⚙️ Test Procedure and Contact Angle Measurement

The core test procedure involves placing a water droplet on the plane solid surface of the film. The static contact angle (θ) is defined as the angle between the substrate surface and the tangent line drawn to the droplet surface at the three-phase point (solid, liquid, and air). The standard outlines two distinct approaches for determining this angle:

• Direct Alignment

  © 2026 TNLab — This article is a technical interpretation for reference only. The original standard as published by ASTM International takes precedence.