The Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research in Dresden has successfully validated the measurement results of the Zeta Potential Analyzer ZPA 20 from DataPhysics Instruments in Filderstadt. The zeta potential is a measurable quantity that characterizes the charge situation at a solid surface in solution. The bidirectional, oscillating measurement method has already been patented and enables statistically high-quality data sets in the shortest possible measurement time.
Measurements are taken at the boundary between the ion layer firmly adsorbed on the solid surface and the solution. "When a solid surface is immersed in an aqueous solution, it becomes electrically charged due to dissociated surface groups and the adsorption of ions and molecules. The zeta potential provides information about these chemical and charge formation processes. For example, it can be used to predict interactions such as adhesion between different surfaces," says Dr. Astrid Drechsler, a scientist at the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden e.V. (IPF). Zeta potential measurements are important, for example, for studying fuel cell membranes, fouling processes on filters, bacterial growth on food packaging and the washing of textiles.