Polymer Processing and Characterization Equipment

Polymer Processing and Characterization Equipment

Our polymer processing and characterization equipment enable us to advance the science and engineering of polymers, gels, melts and polymer nanocomposites and to deliver new materials and capabilities for our customers.

The SpeedMixer is used for mixing viscous materials such as sealants, coatings, paints, and inks. It can efficiently mix dissimilar components such as viscous liquids, pastes and powders into homogeneous mixtures. Samples ranging from 1 g to 140 g can be mixed. The mixing speed can vary from 300 to 3500 rpm. The mixing time is from 5 seconds to 5 minutes.

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The Eppendorf centrifuge is used to separate different polymer fractions/ components in solution state using centrifugal force. The machine is equipped with a high-speed rotor (maximum speed of 5000 rpm) and 4 adapters for 15mL and 50 mL conical. The selectable program memory allows to setup 35 individual user programs for quick runs. The centrifuge also has ten acceleration and deceleration rates using for sensitive materials.

Rotary Evaporator

The Rotary Evaporator is used to remove solvents from (polymer) solutions by evaporation. It is equipped with a 4 L bath with a controllable temperature range from 20°C to 95°C. The rotary motor speed varies from 20 to 280 rpm. The machine has a chilled coil connected to a recirculating chiller to condense the solvents. A vacuum pump is used to boost the evaporation process.

The Carver hot press is used to compression-mold thermoplastic polymers and composite materials. It has stacked heating and cooling platens with a maximum compression force of 12 tons. The machine works in a temperature range of (150- 500) F. The cooling process is controlled by a chiller connected to the cooling platens. 

The Filabot Ex2 is used to make 3D-printing filaments using a melt extrusion process for versatile thermoplastics such as ABS, PLA, PC, HIPS, PETG, and WAX. Input materials can be in powder or pellet form. The machine has a high extrusion rate, over 2 Lbs of filament per hour. The extrusion process can be performed in a wide range of temperatures (up to 400 °C) and speeds (0-35 rpm). The maximum drive force is 9.6 Nm. There are two filament sizes, including 1.75 mm and 2.85 mm. 

write 3D-printer

This DIW printer can print a wide range of materials including plastics, inks, silicones, food pastes, hydrogels, and ceramic slurries. It is equipped with two 10-30mL syringes using pneumatic pressure drive and an extrusion-based printer head. The plastic filament printer head can heat up to ca. 235 °C. The printer head can travel with a maximum speed of 130 mm/s. The heated bed has a maximum temperature of 80 °C and an UV-light cure attachment can be used to cure samples immediately after extrusion. Custom built slicing software allows for layer-by-layer control of print directions and multimaterial patterns.

This is a filament-based 3D-printer with a build volume of (223 x 223 x 205) mm. Its maximum printing temperature is 260 °C. This printer uses 2.85 mm diameter filament with a nozzle diameter of 0.4 mm. The layer resolution is from 20 to 200 micron. The printing speed varies from 30 to 300 mm/s.

NX Pro Dual Pellet-Pellet 3D-printer

The Tumaker NX Pro Pellet 3D-printer can directly print thermoplastics from pellet form. A wide range of materials can be printed such as ABS, PLA, PCL, and PEKK. The maximum printing temperature is 350 °C. The machine is equipped with two pellet printer heads with different nozzle diameters, including 04, 0.6, and 0.8 mm. The maximum printing volume is (290x180x200) mm.

The Discovery Hybrid Rheometer is equipped with diverse accessories that provides highly versatile capabilities for a wide range of materials and characterization.

•Peltier Plate: Testing temperature range: -40 to 200 °C; 25 mm and 40 mm parallel plates, a 40 mm 1° cone, and an immersion cup.
•Environmental Testing Chamber (ETC): Testing temperature range: -160 to 600 °C (equipped with a liquid nitrogen adapter); 8 mm and 25 mm (disposable) parallel plates.
• >Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA): Working with ETC; thin film/fiber tension, 3 point bending and dual cantilever.
UV Cure System: 365 nm UV light source and UV transparent disposable 20 mm plates.

FTIR Spectometer

The Bruker Alpha II FTIR spectrometer is used to identify or verify chemical structures of a wide range of materials in liquid, solid, powder, semisolid, and paste form. The spectral range covers from 400 to 4000 cm-1 with a resolution of 2 cm-1.