Dr. Andreas Vogel | Corporate Product Manager

Temperature Control Solutions in Quality Assurance

STABLE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS IN QUALITY CONTROL

In order to ensure reproducible measurement results in quality control, stable ambient conditions are of crucial importance. This applies in particular to maintaining a constant temperature during a viscosity measurement. Even minor temperature deviations can have a major impact on the measured viscosity.

How is a constant temperature ensured during the viscosity measurement?

USE OF COLD-HEAT CIRCULATION THERMOSTATS

To temper the medium to be measured, it is brought to the correct temperature in a double-walled beaker (DWB 600) over a sufficiently long period of time with the aid of a cold-heat circulation thermostat (e.g. HRC 2 lite). The tempering time can vary depending on the different physical properties of the medium and therefore influences the process.

DETAILS ON CORRECT TUBING

When connecting the double-walled beaker, make sure that the tubing is connected correctly. To avoid air pockets in the double jacket, the outlet of the circulation thermostat is connected to the bottom connection of the beaker.

ISOTHERMAL MEASUREMENT OF VISCOSITY

The viscosity of a sample is always dependent on its temperature. Therefore, the sample should always be measured isothermally. The IKA temperature control units fulfill this requirement with the help of immersion circulators and cryostats, which cover a temperature range from 30 °C to 250 °C.

This results in an extended range of applications for the viscometers of the ROTAVISC series. By using the IKA lab equipment software labworldsoft® 6 Visc to control the thermostats, rheological temperature ramps can be specified and the change in viscosity recorded.