Dyne pens and inks offer a quick and easy way of measuring surface wetting or surface energy. When a Dyne Pen is applied to a substrate, the ink will either form a continuous film on the surface or pull back into small droplets.
If the ink forms a continuous film which is stable for three seconds, it indicates that the surface energy of the substrate is at least as high as the ink value, measured in mJ/m², mN/m, or dyne/cm – often known as “Dynes”.
If you apply a 38 Dyne Pen to a substrate, and the ink stays as a film for three seconds, the substrate has a surface energy of at least 38 dyne/cm. By using a range of Dyne pens or inks of various dyne levels, the surface energy of a substrate can be determined to a narrow range.
