Coating Industries: Why Should You Measure Viscosity?
There is a lot more than it looks when it comes to the coatings industry. Being one of the heaviest regulated industries in the world, there are many aspects of the coating that must be analyzed during formulations, production, and continuous QC/QA. Particle size, particle shape, coating formulation, and even shear exposure can affect the viscosity of your coatings. This has a direct parallel affect on your coating sample behaviors. Hence, viscosity is important to measure. Even within viscosity, there are various aspects to consider such as:
- Effect of Shear Rate on Viscosity
(Newtonian vs. non-Newtonian behavior) - Extensional Viscosity
- Intrinsic Viscosity
Frequently Asked Questions:
Simple reasons:
- Accuracy
- Obtaining the highest shear rates possible in the market
- Closed system - anything volatile will be kept within a closed system. Also, have you heard of air interface?
- Easy to use
The main importance is to test it at comparable shear rates with how your coatings will be actually applied. This is the ideal conditions that you need to understand.
In addition, when it comes to non-Newtonian samples, we recommend running AT LEAST three different shear rates to understand how your sample behaves over a wide variety of shear rates.