Scientists at Michelman, Inc., a global supplier of water-based surface modifiers,
polymers and coatings, are using a rotational rheometer from Malvern
Instruments to tailor products for the exacting demands of the company's
diverse customer base. Through detailed characterization of the rheological
response of a formulation, the team can develop cost-effective coating solutions
which behave in a well-defined way during storage, application and drying.
"The Malvern rheometer is an extremely important asset for Michelman
Inc," comments Senior Research Chemist Ron Foster. "It allows us to
measure the viscosity of coatings at different shear rates and then confidently
predict stability, ease of application and leveling behaviour. The melting oven
is a valuable accessory that allows us to assess polymer feeds in wax emulsions.
Malvern's technical support is excellent, particularly with respect to interpreting
results, and has helped us to extract maximum value from the instrument."
During storage, paints and coatings are subjected only to gravitational forces
but during application, high shear conditions may be imposed. As the coating
dries to form a level surface with the desired attributes, very low shear conditions
apply once more. Michelman takes advantage of the oscillatory testing capabilities
and wide torque of the rheometer, to quantify formulation performance under
all relevant conditions and ensure it will fully meet customer specifications.
These capabilities simplifiy the replacement of existing commercial products
with, for example, more environmentally benign, water-based alternatives.
The Malvern rheology offering is much more than a suite of high performance,
precision instruments with applications in research, development and QC. Malvern
understands that for many people, the challenge of knowing what measurements
to make and how to interpret the results is a barrier to exploiting the full
potential of rheological tools. To address this issue Malvern has developed
Kinexus, a radically new rheometer platform whose embedded intelligence makes
it much easier for users to access appropriate rheological information.
For more information see www.malvern.com/kinexus or call a Rheology Specialist
at Malvern on +1 508 768 6400 +1 508 768 6400.
Malvern, Malvern Instruments and Kinexus are registered trademarks of Malvern
Instruments Ltd