The Rheology Centre manages and maintains instrumentation used to study the rheological behavour of materials. The rheometers available within the department include the following instruments:
- ARES - Controlled strain rheometer.
- Bohlin - Controlled stress rheometer.
- Cambridge Shearing System (Linkam CSS) - This is an optical microscope stage that allows a sample to be observed as it is sheared. It consists of two glass plates, the bottom of which is rotated by a stepper motor. Images of the sample are recorded by a video camera attached to the mircroscope. The temperature of the sample can be controlled by electric heaters positioned on either side of the plates.
- Cambridge Multi Pass Rheometer (MPR) - This is a unique dual piston capillary rheometer that is capable of operating a high shear rates and under pressure. It can be used in conjunction with optical birefringence and X-ray scattering (SAXS and WAXS) techniques. See the MPR web pages for further details.
There is a small charge for the use of these instruments by members of the University. For more details please contact Dr Simon Butler.
The Rheology of Ink Jet Fluids
The Rheology Centre is also involved with research on the rheological behaviour of ink jet printing fluids. This work is is being carried out as part of the Innovation in Industrial Inkjet Technology programme (I4T). The study of these materials requires instruments that are capable of carrying out measurements on low viscosity fluids subjected to highfrequency oscillations. The range of instruments used for this include:
- Piezo Axial Vibrator (PAV) - A rheometer that operates at high oscillatory frequencies and only requires a small sample volume (~100µl). The Torsion Resonator module of the same instrument allows even higher frequency measurements to be obtained.
- Diffuse Wave Spectometer - A light scattering technique that measures the rheological behaviour at high frequencies.
- Trimaster - This is an instrument constructed within the department that allows the extensional behaviour of liquids at room temperature to be visualised and studied.
Further details of this research can be found on the ink jet technology pages.
Limited access to these instruments for other reseach projects can be arranged when they are not being used. There is again a small charge for their use.