Polymer Characterization

Young woman works at machine
The Department of Plastics Engineering has polymer characterization equipment in Ball Hall and the Mark and Elisia Saab Technology and Innovation Center (ETIC). There are two shared use laboratories
  • Mark A. Saab Advanced Polymers Properties Testing Laboratory
  • Dynisco Plastics Rheological Properties Laboratory
Other equipment is available in processing laboratories, research laboratories, and the university’s Core Research Facilities. 

Mark A. Saab ’81 Advanced Polymers Properties Testing Lab

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The Mark A. Saab ’81 Advanced Polymers Properties Testing Lab, located in Ball Hall, Room 201A, contains a variety of property testing equipment that is used to determine the mechanical, electrical, optical, and thermal properties of plastics materials. Renovation of this laboratory was due to the generosity of Mark and Elisia Saab.

Equipment

  • Instron universal testing machines (3)
  • Tinius Olsen stiffness tester
  • Instron Dynatup 8250 instrumented drop impact tester
  • Izod impact tester and Charpey impact test, Notcher
  • Gardner impact tester (drop dart)
  • Rockwell and Shore hardness testers
  • Taber Instruments Abrader 503
  • Pro-Tear film tear tester (Elmendorf tear tester)
  • Data Color 650 Spectrophotometer
  • Moisture Analyzer, VaporPro XL (Computrac)

Dynisco Plastics Rheological Properties Lab

Dynisco equipment

Rheology is the study of deformation and flow of matter. The Dynisco Plastics Rheological Properties Laboratory, located in Ball Hall, Room 201B, contains a variety of rheological property test equipment.  This laboratory is supported by Dynisco, a manufacturer of sensors and plastics testing equipment.

Equipment

  • Extrusion plastometers (melt flow indexers)
    • Dynisco LMI 5000 (3)
    • Dynisco LMI 5500
  • Capillary rheometer
    • Dynisco LCR 7000 capillary rheometer
    • Single bore capillaries with a range of diameters and lengths
  • On-line rheology
    • Single screw extruder (Davis Standard) with instrumented dies
  • Rotational rheometers
    • TA Instruments ARES-G2 rotational rheometer
    • Parallel plate, cone and plate and torsional bar geometries
    • Forced convection oven and Peltier plate temperature control systems
    • Ares rotational rheometer
    • Parallel plate and cone and plate geometries
      Both rotational rheometers are located in ETIC, Room 222.
  • Cure rheometer

Website

Other Capabilities

Equipment

  • Rotap