The spinning drop method is used to measure the interfacial tension of molten polymer systems. It proves to be a simple and rather fast measuring method, while satisfactory agreement with literature values, obtained with the pendant drop method, is achieved.

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The sorption of water vapor in Kapton® ͑polyimide͒ films has been investigated with a new method, dielectric sorption analysis ͑DSA͒. The technique is based on high-resolution time-resolved capacitance measurements performed during exposure of an organic coating to humidified nitrogen. The basis of the method is described together with experimental details related to the capacitance measurement, long-term stability, reproducibility, and other characteristics of the setup. The technique allows the determination of the sorption/desorption and diffusion characteristics of a coating on a time scale varying from seconds to days. Mass transport properties derived from complementary weight measurements are in good agreement with the DSA results. Real-time monitoring of the moisture sorption in organic coatings demonstrates the potential of the technique in the field of nondestructive coating inspection and testing.

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