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Measuring the Surface Energy Inside a Glass Tube

49 Submissions
$15,000 USD
Challenge closed

Challenge overview

The Seeker desires suggestions for methods to measure the surface energy of the inner surface of a curved, coated borosilicate glass tube.

In order to better understand the surface properties, the Seeker would like to measure the surface energy of the inner surface of a curved, coated borosilicate glass tube.  Additional details about the size and shape of the tube are included in the details of the Challenge. Techniques involving contact angle measurement, measurement of the meniscus height, and the use of a tensiometer are well known, but the size, shape and inaccessibility of the surface of interest make none of these techniques optimal.

The Seeker desires approaches or suggestions for alternative methodologies that will enable a more accurate measurement for this particular size and shape requirement. 

This is an Ideation Challenge, which has the following unique features:

  • There is a guaranteed award.  The awards will be paid to the best submission(s) as solely determined by the Seeker. The total payout will be $15,000, with at least one award being no smaller than $7,500 and no award being smaller than $2,500. 
  • The Solvers are not required to transfer exclusive intellectual property rights to the Seeker.  Rather, by submitting a proposal, the Solver grants to the Seeker a royalty-free, perpetual, and non-exclusive license to use any information included in this proposal.

After the Challenge deadline, the Seeker will complete the review process and make a decision with regards to the Winning Solution(s). All Solvers that submitted a proposal will be notified on the status of their submissions; however, no detailed evaluation of individual submissions will be provided.

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