Rheological properties of plastic materials

Thickness, creep, cross-linkage and curing are examples of the behaviours and status of plastic materials (rheological properties) that need to be monitored. Will I have flow problems when coextruding certain materials and adhesives? Which of these two resins takes longer to gel?

Am I breaking down the material when processing it? Can this recycled material keep a suitable molecular weight for the product I manufacture? To what extent will fillers and additives affect material melting in terms of mechanical energy and time?

The rheological properties of polymeric materials in dissolution, dispersion or solution, and when molten, measure their creep and deformation resistance. In addition, the rheological analysis of these materials provides essential information on their processability.

HOW DO WE TEST RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES?

At AIMPLAS’ laboratories, we have the necessary equipment to carry out tests and trials on rheological properties:

Extrusion plastometer: Melt Mass Flow Rate (MFR) and/or Melt Volume Flow Rate (MVR).
Capillary viscometer: reduced and intrinsic viscosity of PA, PET, etc.
Brookfield viscometer: viscosity at given shear rates of resins, pastes, dispersions and fluids.
Rotational rheometer: viscosity at given shear rates and viscoelastic properties of melted polymers, pastes and other fluids.
Capillary rheometer: viscosity at given shear of melted polymers.
Extensional rheometer: melt strength and drawability.
Brabender torque rheometer: melting curve and time to degradation.

WHY AIMPLAS?

AIMPLAS has extensive experience in the performance of rheological tests, viscosity measurements and viscoelastic properties in melted polymers. These resources can be selected and used for specific such as solving processability problems, identifying defects caused by material alterations or by the effects of additivation in the development of new formulations.