The new LCR7000 Series Capillary Rheometers offer many new features and will meet the demands of a 24-hour-a-day shop floor operation while maintaining the highest possible level of accuracy, repeatability and sensitivity. The LCR series rheometers are versatile and easy to use yet they offer the most sophisticated materials characterization, data analysis, and reporting capabilities. The LCR series can be used with a standard load cell and a barrel mounted pressure transducer.
What is a capillary rheometer? A rheometer is an instrument used to measure rheological properties like shear stress, shear rate, and shear viscosity. Capillary rheometry is a technique whereby a sample undergoes extrusion through a die of defined dimensions and the shear pressure drop across the die recorded at set volumetric flow rates.
Capillary rheometers are comprised of a temperature-controlled barrel incorporating one or more precision bores fitted with capillary dies at the exit. Pressure transducers are mounted immediately above the dies to record the pressure drop as the material being tested undergoes extrusions through the dies.
How does the capillary rheometer differ from a melt indexer? Traditionally, the melt flow indexer (MFI) has been the instrument of choice for quantifying melt flow properties in the plastics industry. MFI machines are typically inexpensive and easy to operate. They require a minimum of expertise to interpret the results, which more often than not is a single value. The basic test uses a single dead weight to record the amount of material extruded over a fixed period of time. As a result, the MFI quickly became the de facto standard in the plastics industry.
