Automated relative viscometer provide faster analysis, greater precision and less solvent exposure than the traditional Ubbelohde or Cannon-Fenske glass tube viscometers that it replaces
Viscotek has launched the Y501 automated relative viscometer (ARV) - a productive system for automated measurement of the viscosities of dilute polymer solutions.
The ARV system is ideally suited for measuring dilute polymer viscosities, it says.
Based upon Viscotek's patented Y501 viscometer design the ARV system measures solvent and sample viscosity simultaneously, avoiding errors due to temperature fluctuations and solvent variations.
The system is said to provide faster analysis, greater precision and less solvent exposure than the traditional Ubbelohde or Cannon-Fenske glass tube viscometers that it replaces.
To automate acquisition and processing of data, Viscotek has consulted with industry users to produce the new ARV software.
Using the ARV software, users can automate control of devices involved with making solution viscosity measurements including syringe pumps, valve actuators, autosamplers and can even be set up to support Zymark robotic sample delivery systems.
ARV supports run queues, and performs automatic calculations such that it can run the viscometer unattended leaving operators free to perform other tasks.
Users can select from a wide range of report formats including relative viscosity, inherent viscosity, reduced viscosity, intrinsic viscosity or absolute viscosity.
The Y501-ARV is said to be the only solution viscometer that can automatically provide relative, intrinsic, inherent, specific and absolute viscosity as well as molecular weight information from a single experiment.
For laboratories required to test large numbers of samples, Viscotek can also provide a semi-automated sample preparation (Sasp) system that assists operators by controlling the weighing and dispensing operations.
The Sasp system automatically compensates for impurities, temperature variations, and density variations so exact concentrations of polymer solutions can be easily and precisely prepared.
Fully compliant with ASTM method D5225-92 (solution viscometry of polymers) the Y501-ARV can typically provide accurate results on only a 1% solution, making it possible to reduce sample preparation time significantly.
This substantial reduction in the amount of time required to measure viscosity allows much more timely feedback on process variables, resulting in increased polymer production yields.
