*** 96-61335 Spiegelberg This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I program will develop an affordable instrument for measuring normal forces in polymeric materials subjected to simple shearing flows. Rheological characterization, or the flow behavior of a material, provides essential information both about the chemical structure of a polymeric material and about the desirable processing conditions. A polymeric material subjected to a simple shear flow will exert a force in the direction normal to the flow direction, which is a direct measurement of the elasticity of the material. Only two companies produce a rheometer capable of measuring quantitative normal forces, and these retail for close to $100,000. This firm proposes to use affordable OEM force transducer technology to construct a normal force device for integration with existing shear rheometers without normal force capability, making use of the precision motors and controllers in these units. A second stand-alone rheometer will be constructed with its own drive motor for those without a shear rheometer. The application of the technology to on-line measurements in a process flow line will be examined. It is anticipated that the add-on unit will retail for less than $10,000. *** ??
