Polymer Surface Energy Lab (2D): Contact Angle & Young's Equation

Every polymer's surface chemistry sets how liquids sit on it — PTFE's low-energy C–F backbone makes water bead into a near-circular cross-section, while glass or a high-energy nylon surface pulls it flat. This 2D simulator lets you choose a real solid (PTFE, PE, PP, PET, nylon, glass, or a custom surface energy), a real liquid, a droplet volume and a surface roughness, then renders the exact equilibrium circular-cap profile predicted by Young's equation and the Fowkes dispersive approximation, with the Wenzel roughness correction, the three interfacial tension vectors at the contact line, and the Young–Dupré work of adhesion all tracked live as you drag the sliders. A companion chart plots cosθ against surface energy so you can see exactly where your material sits on the wetting curve. Drag the droplet view to pan and scroll to zoom into the contact line.