The HAAKE™ Rheomix Lab Mixers, part of the HAAKE™ PolyLab™ OS System torque rheometer platform, are designed for batch testing of highly viscous materials. This intelligent, modular system simulates industrial processes in laboratory or pilot plant settings, allowing customers to analyze materials on a small scale. It is ideal for characterizing substances like polymers, elastomers, additives, and fillers, helping to prevent production issues.
Applications include mixing, kneading, compounding, and plasticizing.
A typical mixer test runs at a defined speed (shear rate) over time, with the material’s response measured as torque. The mixing chamber is temperature-controlled with independent heating and cooling zones, but frictional heat in the mixing bowl causes a change in the material’s melt temperature, which is recorded as part of the measurement. This "Rheogram" (torque and melt temperature vs. time at constant speed) serves as a unique "fingerprint" for different materials or blends, often used in Quality Control for both incoming and outgoing product inspections. The melting behavior, energy consumption, or melt viscosity (indicated by torque) can objectively quantify the type and concentration of additives.
The HAAKE™ Rheomix Lab Mixers offer a powerful and versatile solution for researchers and manufacturers seeking in-depth material characterization for various applications.
Typical applications include:
- Polymer melt testing: Characterize melting and degradation behavior.
- Nano-additive impact: Measure viscosity changes with nano-particle and other additive incorporation.
- Plasticizer studies: Evaluate gelation and plasticizing behavior of materials like PVC dry-blends.
- Thermoset characterization: Analyze flow and curing behavior of thermosetting plastics.
- Rubber compound analysis: Understand the influence of additives like carbon black, fillers, and accelerators on rubber mixtures.
- Elastomer behavior: Record masticating and vulcanizing behavior.
- Carbon black interaction: Measure oil absorption.
- Plasticizer quantification: Quantify DOP absorption in PVC dry-blends.
- Filler/additive stability: Analyze the combined effects of fillers, stabilizers, lubricants, and color pigments on material stability.
- High-performance plastic testing: Assess processability of advanced materials.
- Conductivity evaluation: Perform electrical conductivity measurements for rubber mixtures.