Repeatable Powder Analysis with TA Instruments Rheometer

MILFORD, Mass./September 29, 2022 — Waters Corporation introduced new, innovative powder rheology tooling and software for its TA Instruments™ HR Rheometers allowing scientists to make precise, repeatable powder analysis (rheology measurements) simpler and faster. Such measurements enable materials scientists to optimize the processing and end-use performance of powders used in batteries, pharmaceuticals, additive manufacturing, food, personal care products, and coatings.

“Powder materials present their own challenges, and a lot depends on the ability to detect minor variations that relate to how they perform,” said Jianqing Bennett, Senior Vice President, TA Instruments Division, Waters Corporation. “For our customers agility is key because they could be doing routine viscosity testing on a polymer one day and then troubleshooting an urgent powder processing problem for lithium-ion battery electrodes the next. The HR Rheometer has the flexibility to accommodate a variety of sample formats – be it liquids, solids, or powders – helping labs stay agile and productive.”

Rheology is key to the understanding of materials in liquid, solid or powder form and how to turn them into high performance products. The TA Instruments HR Powder rheology accessory measures properties such as cohesion, stability, flowability energy and compressibility under industrially relevant processing conditions and to help laboratories:

• Screen battery electrode coatings, both solvent-based slurries and solvent-free dry coatings, to prevent defects and reduce cell failure rates
• Mix, granulate and compress solid-dose pharmaceutical tablets to prevent instabilities of API/excipient blends
• Optimize storage and transport of industrial powder materials and avoid supply chain disruptions

With innovative SmartSwap tooling, it takes seconds to convert the HR Rheometer from a solids or liquids set-up to a powder rheology set-up. A new powder rheology application for TA Instruments’ TRIOS software handles the data gathering duties and reports key performance indicators, enabling scientists to seamlessly switch between measuring critical material attributes of liquids, pastes, gels, solids and – now – powders.

The new Powder Rheology Accessory is available immediately for new or existing TA Instruments HR Rheometers.