Rheometers steady rotating instruments

There are a vast number of rheometers available from a series of manufacturers, and Whorlow classified these into steady rotating instruments and tube and slit rheometers. Walters wrote a detailed account on the fundamentals of the design of rheometers, and Ferryf " reviewed the instrumental techniques available for the investigation of viscoelastic properties. Special requirements and techniques available for the industry were analyzed by Sherman. ... 

Rotational rheometer n. An instrument for measuring the viscosity of molten polymers (any many other fluid types) in which the sample is held at a controlled temperature between a stator and a rotor. From the torque on either element and the relative rotational speed, the viscosity can be inferred. The most satisfactory type for melts is the cone-and-plate geometry, in which the vertex of the cone almost touches the plate and the specimen is situated between the two elements. This provides a uniform shear rate throughout the specimen. It may be operated in steady rotation or in an oscillatory mode. 

Related to the helical screw devices are the instrumented batch mixers often called torque rheometers. They consist of a chamber or mixing bowl with two counterrotating blades. There are many different blade configurations. A common one is shown in Figure 5.6.5. These devices are primarily used as simulators of larger batch mixers and extruders and to prepare compounded samples. One of the rotating shafts has a transducer that records torque as polymers melt and mix with other additives. Blyler and Daane (1967) have shown that when the sample has reached steady state, one can obtain a good measure of n (but not m) for power law fluids fi om torque and screw speed. 

---