Practical Rheology For Chemists is a highly-regarded rheology training course comprising tuition, hands-on practical coaching and ongoing support. The course has proved 
highly successful in ensuring manufacturers obtain the most benefit and financial return on investment from their rheometers and viscometers. The comprehensive programme, which can be tailored to meet the needs of new and experienced users alike, typically comprises:
- A solid grounding in the core principles of rheology relevant to the customer's specific products and applications.
- Practical demonstration of a "Rheologist's Toolkit" of parameters, test methods and interpretations to meet product development, stability, process design and quality-control needs.
- Development of finished working test methods and protocols.
- A period of ongoing support and advice, by telephone, email or web-meeting.
The course is primarily aimed at users of high-performance research rheometers such as those manufactured by:
- TA Instruments
- Bohlin / Malvern
- Rheometric Scientific
- Anton Paar / Physica
- Thermo Haake
- Reologica
Course content and duration is dependent upon the customer's needs. A typical two-day programme covers:
Rheology Fundamentals:
The "structured fluids" model for describing rheology.
Shear and extensional flow modes
Shear stress, shear strain, shear rate and viscosity
Non-Newtonian flow behaviour and the "anatomy" of the flow curve: Zero-shear and infinite-shear viscosity and shear-thinning behaviour.
Understanding structure effects: yield stress, thixotropy and viscoelasticity
Describing viscoelasticity: Understanding complex, elastic and viscous modulus, phase angle and tan delta.
Viscoelasticity and deformation timescale effects.
Practical Rheometer Skills:
Introducing the "Rheologist's Tookit" of techniques and parameters.
Viscosity profiling approaches: Controlled stress vs. controlled rate methods, stepped, steady-state or continuous flow tests?
Oscillation (dynamic) rheology testing methods: oscillatory stress, strain, frequency, time and temperature sweeps.
Creep testing
Choosing measuring geometries: cones, plates and cylinders; sizes, angles and gaps, smooth, sandblasted or serrated?
Sample conditioning, handling and loading best practice.
"Tricks of the trade" for measuring difficult samples such as waxes, set gels or particulate slurries.
Interpretation and Validation of Results:
Using Rheological models (Cross Model, Casson Model etc) to obtain Zero Shear Viscosity, Yield Stress, Power Law Index and a range of other key parameters
Relating rheology to real-life behaviours and needs such as: stability prediction; texture, appearance and skin feel; sagging, slumping and dripping; pumping, mixing and filling.
Assessing repeatability and setting QC release specifications and pass/fail limits.
Does this course interest you? If you would like a quotation or would like to discuss an agenda tailored to your needs please contact us.
