Technical facilities and laboratory conditions

Tasks

• High-speed dissolver
• Time-saving dispersion and mixing tasks in the laboratory
• Dispersing and wetting aqueous and solvent-based low to medium viscosity media

Implementation (SEM-HS-3-Ex - Bühler)

• Protection Class: ATEX II 2G EEx c T3 X
• High-performance mixer with freely-adjustable electromechanical drive
• Integrated vacuum pump for degassing

Implementation (Dispermat LC30 - VMA)

• Mixing tool: Dissolver discs with different diameters (Ø 25 - 50 mm)
• Dissolver discs rotate at high speed and peripheral velocity in a suspension, generating large shear stresses and breaking up agglomerates

Parameters (SEM-HS-3-Ex - Bühler)

• Volume: 5,000 – 10,000 ml
• Batch process (aqueous)

Parameters (Dispermat LC30 - VMA)

• Volume: 50 – 5,000 ml
• Revs: 0 – 20,000 min-1
• Motor power rating: 0.3 kW
• Batch process (aqueous and solvent-based)

Typical applications

• Paint and coatings industry
• Adhesives
• Filling and sealing compounds
• Battery: Lithium-ion batteries, fuel cell electrodes, electric double layer capacitors

Filmix FM 56 - Bühler

Tasks

• High-speed thin film mixer
• Thin film process makes it possible to accurately control product shear stress
• Dispersing particles homogeneously in pastes without damaging them
• Dispersing low to medium viscosity media

Implementation

• Disperser based on rotor-stator principle
• Batch or continuous operation possible
• In continuous operation, optional subsequent online characterization of the dispersion (particle size distribution and viscosity)

Parameters

• Revs: 2,200 – 18,400 min-1
• Peripheral speed: 10 – 50 m/s
• Processing power: Batch: 50 – 90 ml, continuous ~ 11 l/h

Typical applications

• Battery: Lithium-ion batteries, fuel cell electrodes, electric double layer capacitors
• Chemical: Inks, toners, resins, coating materials
• Ceramic materials, metallic materials, display materials, capacitors, conductive pastes
   

T 25 digital ULTRA-TURRAX - IKA

Tasks

• High-performance dispersing unit with digital speed display for processing flowable or liquid media
• Dispersing and homogenizing low viscosity media
• Wet chrushing

Implementation

• Rotor-stator principle
• Wide speed range enables work at high peripheral speeds
• Batch process

Parameters

• Volume: 1– 2,000 ml (H₂O)
• Revs: 3,000 - 25,000 min-1
• Max. viscosity: 5,000 mPas

Typical applications

Production of emulsions and suspensions in batch

Tasks

• Dispersing
• Emulsifying
• Homogenizing
• De-agglomerating
• Degassing liquids
• Reducing particle sizes

Implementation

• Ultrasonic transducer generates ultrasound by electrical excitation, which is transmitted directly to the medium via sonotrodes.
• Cavitation effects
• Liquid media treated by ultrasound in flow-through or batch process

Parameters (UIP500hd - Hielscher)

• Processing volume: 1,000– 5,000 ml (in flow-through process)
• Electr. amplitude control: 50 - 100 %
• Efficiency: > 85 %
• Working frequency: 20 kHz ± 1 kHz

Parameters (Sonopuls HD 3200 - Bandelin)

• Volume: 10– 1,000 ml (batch process)
• Working frequency: 20 kHz ± 500 Hz
• Ultrasound mode: pulsating or continuous
• Amplitude settings: 10 - 100 % (in 1 % steps)

Typical applications

• Nano dispersions
• Paints and coatings
• Adhesives

EXAKT 80E Three Roll Mill

Tasks

• Homogenization and dispersion of powdered material in pastes and liquid or semi-liquid dispersants
• Breaking up agglomerates
• Reproducible particle size reduction through definition of an upper grain limit, which is achieved by adjusting the gap distances between the rolls
• Preparing small quantities for development, laboratory and production purposes

Implementation

The gap distance is gradually decreased to achieve the desired level of dispersion and the material throughput

Parameters

• Throughput: 0.02 – 20 l/h
• Gap distance: 5–150 µm
• Roller diameter: 80 mm
• Roller length: 200 mm

Typical applications

• Composite production of highly viscous media
• Paints and coatings
• Electronics industry
• Ceramics
• Lubricants
• Adhesives

Eirich Type EL1 intensive mixer

Tasks

• Processing mixed materials with dry to plastic and pasty consistency
• Mixing
• Granulating
• Coating
• Kneading
• Dispersing
• Dissolving
• Defibering

Implementation

• Rotating and inclined mixing container with eccentrically arranged mixing tool
• Fixed wall-mounted scraper cleans the wall of the mixing vessel and intensifies the movement of the mixing material

Parameters

• Maximum mixing volume: 1,000 ml
• Mixing tool speed is freely adjustable in both directions of rotation from 2 - 30 m/s
• Tilt settings: 0°, 10°, 20° and 30°

Typical applications

• Paints and coatings
• Battery: Lithium-ion batteries, fuel cell electrodes, electric double layer capacitors
• Adhesives

Thinky Mixer – C3 Prozess- und Analysentechnik

Tasks

• Highly efficient mixer without stirrer that works with low shear forces and is contamination-free
• Dispersing particles homogeneously in pastes without damaging them
• Dispersing and degassing low to medium viscosity media

Implementation

• Disperser based on planetary mixer principle
• Optional batch operation
• Mixing capacity: 310 g or mixing volume: 300 ml

Parameters

• Revs: 200 – 2000 min-1
• Processing power: Batch: 50 – 310 ml

Typical applications

• Battery: Lithium-ion batteries, fuel cell electrodes, electric double layer capacitors
• Chemical: Inks, toners, resins, coating materials
• Ceramic materials, metallic materials, display materials, capacitors, conductive pastes
• Adhesives
• Paints and coatings

OPUS-FT25 – Sympatec

Tasks

• Ultrasonic extinction sensor for analyzing particle and droplet size
• Analyzing particle size, particle size distribution and concentration in suspensions or emulsions
• Online particle measurements in highly concentrated liquids
• Continuous real-time, in-process analyses
• Wet grinding and microfine grinding medium to high viscosity media
• Measurement in original state (undiluted) and under process conditions without having to remove the product or prepare samples

Implementation

• Ultrasonic extinction withstands aggressive media as well as abrasive product streams
• The use of sound waves instead of light waves means that analyses can be carried out regardless of the transparency of a suspension or emulsion (e.g. completely opaque material systems or non-transparent suspensions due to high concentrations of solids)
• Optional nitrogen inerting

Parameters

• Measurement range: < 0.1 – 3000 µm
• Concentration: < 1 – 70 vol.-%
• pH range: 1 – 14
• Temperature range: -20 – 120 °C
• Pressure rating PN40
• Max. flow rate: 2000 l/h
• Repeatability < 1 % standard deviation

Typical applications

• Widely applicable for analyzing suspensions such as battery slurries
• Continuous data acquisition enables optimized process control and quality control in mixing and emulsification processes

Inline viscometer L-Vis 510 - Anton Paar

Tasks

• Inline viscometer that can be integrated directly into the production process
• Continuous display of viscosity at process and reference temperature
• Inline analysis of shear-dependent samples

Implementation

• Measurement principle: Dynamic fluid pressure
• Process liquid flows through the sensor where viscosity and temperature are measured simultaneously and displayed separately
• Fluctuations in pressure or flow rates not affected

Parameters

• Viscosity measuring range: 1 – 50,000 mPas
• Process temperature range: - 5 – 200 °C
• Process pressure: 0 - 25 bars absolute
• Typical accuracy: 1 %
• Typical repeatability: 0.5 %

Typical applications

• Measurement of viscosity changing by a reaction at constant shear rate
• Continuous viscosity monitoring
• Product recognition via varying viscosities

HAAKE MARS Rheometer - ThermoFisher

Tasks

• Tests on flow behavior and viscoelastic properties
• Flexible measurement technology and capability to quickly master new tasks

Implementation

• Rheometer applies a force to the sample and the resulting stress or deformation is measured by a sensor
• Rheometer platform designed as a two-column stand

Parameters

• Measuring modes: Controlled Rate (CR), Controlled Stress (CS), Controlled Deformation (CD)
• Temperature range: - 150 – 600 °C
• Max. torque: 200 mNm
• Normal force range: 0.01 – 50 N
• Gap accuracy: 0.5 µm
• Measuring system: Plate-plate

Typical applications

• Paints and coatings
• Inks
• Dispersions
• Polymers

Temperature and climatic test chamber VCV 4060-5 - Vötsch

Tasks

Simulating different climatic conditions in order to study the impact of temperature and humidity on product properties, function and service life.

Implementation

Defined temperature and humidity are set to simulate environmental influences on a test object

Parameters

• Test chamber volume: 600 l
• Temperature test data:
  • Temperature range: - 40 – 180 °C
  • Temperature fluctuations: ± 0.1 – ± 0.8 K
  • Temperature change rate heating: 5.0 K/min
  • Temperature change rate cooling: 5.5 K/min
• Climatic test data:
  • Temperature range: 10 – 95 °C
  • Humidity range: 10 – 95 % r.h.
  • Temperature fluctuations: ± 0.1 – ± 0.3 K
  • Fluctuations in humidity: ±1 – ± 3 % r.h.

Typical areas of application

• Controlled material tests
• Function tests
• Aging tests
• Climatic tests on composite materials, paints and coatings, plastics or electronic components

Compact digital density meter DMA 1001 - Anton Paar

Tasks

• Determining the density of pasty, inhomogeneous, sedimenting and particle-containing samples as well as aerosol sprays
• Digital density measurements
• Results from approx. 1 mL samples
• FillingCheck - integrated camera ensures that samples are correctly filled (bubble-free)

Implementation

• Pulsed Excitation Method (PEM)
• Once the oscillation is stable, the excitation is switched off and the oscillation decays freely
• Excitation and decay sequence is repeated continuously, creating a pulsating oscillation pattern
• By allowing the U-tube to oscillate naturally and by evaluating this oscillation pattern, three times as much information is gained as when using the conventional forced oscillation method

Parameters

• Measuring range:
  • Density: 0 – 3 g/cm³
  • Pressure: 0 – 10 bars
  • Temperature: 15 – 60 °C
• Repeatability:
  • Density: 0.00005 g/cm³
  • Temperature: 0.02 °C
• Reproducibility:
  • Density: 0.00007 g/cm³
• Accuracy:
  • Density: 0.0001 g/cm³
  • Temperature: 0.05 °C
• Minimum sample volume: approx. 1 mL
• Parts in contact with specimen: Borosilicate glass, PTFE

Typical areas of application

• Measurement of density of all sample types, even those that are otherwise difficult to measure, such as particulate, inhomogeneous, sedimenting and pasty samples
• Concentration measurements (e.g. to check the quality of raw materials)
• Chemical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries

Loresta-GX resistivity meter - Nittoseiko Analytech

Tasks

• Measuring conductors and semiconductors in lower resistance range
• Measuring sheet resistivity [Ω/□], volume resistivity [Ω∙cm] and specific conductivity [S/cm] in low-resistance range

Implementation

• 4-point measuring method (4-pin probes arranged equidistantly)
• Method based on four-wire sensing technique to eliminate the influence of contact resistances

Parameters

• Measuring method: 4-point measuring method, constant current measuring method
• Measuring range: 10^-4 – 10⁷ Ω∙cm
• Probes:
  • ASP probe RMH110: Pin spacing: 5.0 mm, pin tip diameter: 0.37 mm, spring pressure 210 g/pin
  • PSP probe RMH112: for small and thin specimens, pin tip diameter: 0.26 mm, pin spacing: 1.5 mm, spring pressure: 70 g/pin

Typical applications

• Research & development, manufacturing engineering, quality control
• Conductive pastes
• Coatings
• Paints, pastes, varnishes, printing inks
• Graphite
• Coated sheet metal, steel, aluminum