Abstract: A rheometer is standardized to a prescribed rheological measurement reference standard by: a so-called ‘Cluster Die’, with one or more die orifices matched to a standard Melt Flow Index Die; an orifice matched to a standard Melt Flow Index Die to produce both a ‘multiplier’ pressure drop and equivalent overall rheological effect; individual or combined regional adjustments; a slow matching taper to conjoin two flow regions with minimal interference of flow pattern or pressure drop; thermometer placement in the body surrounds of a heated die; calibration of a thermometer for die melt temperature by a combination of temporary and permanent placements of other thermometers; a temperature stabilization device for melt pressure transducers of rigid or flexible stem construction; a polymer plant gear pump polymer melt drive adapted for rheometry using internal flow restriction as a rheometer die.

Abstract: In a modulated optical reflectance (MOR) system, a laser noise suppression technique utilizes a reference beam split optically from a probe laser prior to injection of a beam from the probe laser into an MOR signal path. The reference beam and a probe beam reflected from the sample are sent to first and second detectors, which produce first and second signals. A signal combiner receives the second signal at a first input and produces a combiner signal that corresponds to a difference between signals applied to the first and a second input. A level balancer receives the first signal and a signal derived from the combiner signal and produces a balancer output that is coupled to the second input of the signal combiner. The combination of the balancer output and the second signal tends to cancel out an average value of the second signal from the combiner signal.

Abstract: Closed-loop feedback control of (continuous) catalytic polymerisation, by regulating the introduction of a Chain Transfer Agent (CTA) to a reactor, and so polymer chain length formation; through responsive (on-line) MFI determination, of a reactor polymer sample, using an MFI measurement viscometer (70) with dual measurement dies (91, 93), for extended measurement range.

Abstract: A viscoelastic measurement device comprising a measurement chamber (10) to receive a sample whose viscoelasticity is to be measured, a displacement member (11) located in said chamber, displacement means (34) for displacing the displacement member within the measurement chamber and thereby applying a deformatory stress to a sample located therein, measurement transducer means (35) for detecting the input deformatory displacement, measurement transducer means (35) for detecting the output or reaction deformatory movement or action of the sample, calculator means (211) for calculating the viscoelasticity from the input and output data.

Abstract: A melt flow index measurement device includes a sample enclosure (125), a loading device (90) for applying a sample under pressure to the enclosure, a pressure sensor (112) for determining the pressure within the enclosure upstream of the restriction, an output port (130) in the enclosure downstream of the restriction, and a temperature control (91, 92, 76) and monitoring system for determining the sample temperature within the enclosure. A data processor computes the melt flow index from successive measurements of pressure and flow rate through the output orifice or restriction under operating conditions, and derives from those computations the melt flow index of a sample under a predetermined set of standard conditions.