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KNOWLEDGE BASE

Technical Information  |  Learning  |  Applications  |  How to Sell This to your Company

WHAT DOES THE HAIKU MODEL 575 ACTUALLY MEASURE?

The principle of operation of the Haiku Instruments Model 575 Intrinsic Viscometer is Poiseuille's Law

We measure the pressure drop of both the dilute polymer sample and the pure solvent simultaneously.

The system design mitigates the impact of temperature, flow and potential contamination from a bad sample.    

Dividing the higher sample pressure drop by the lower solvent pressure drop allows us to calculate relative viscosity. 

Knowing the sample concentration enables us to calculate a variety of desired viscosity values.

Intrinsic and Inherent are the two most commonly reported solution viscosity values.

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Want something simpler?  Try the Ubbelohde viscometer.  Some labs use 100-year old technology.  Does yours?

WHO USES THE DATA FROM THE MODEL 575 VISCOMETER, ANYWAY?

There are numerous internal and external customers to whom the intrinsic viscosity (IV) numbers are critical.  


Engineers in the plant use IV to control polymerization reactions.  

For straight-chain polymers, IV can be used as a stand-in measurement for molecular weight.

Product sheets for nearly all commercially available polymers include IV data.  

IV is used to distinguish grades of material in very similar product ranges.

Entire product families of products exist solely as viscosity modifiers.  They are critical.  

HOW CAN WE AFFORD NEW EQUIPMENT IN THE CURRENT ECONOMY?

The cost of compliance, safety, and data integrity concerns are some of your best friends in this discussion. 


The Model 575 Intrinsic Viscometer addresses all these by:

  • validating the quality of data used to calculate your results

  • removing user error in sample preparation and measurement

  • minimizing user exposure to solvent, sample and heat sources

  • preventing negligent or malicious breaches of data integrity

WHAT POLYMERS AND SOLVENTS CAN THIS TECHNOLOGY WORK WITH?

If your polymer goes into solution, we can measure its intrinsic viscosity.  THF, Toluene, Acetone, HFIPA, Cyclohexanone, Water, Brine, Acids, Bases, DCM, TCB, Decalin, Tetralin, Xylenes, DMF, DMSO, NMP, Chloroform, Phenol/TCE, Cresol...

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Standard materials in the flow path are 316 Stainless Steel, Ceramic, Teflon, and FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene).  


There are very, VERY few polymers that we have to turn down, based solely on material compatibility.  If your polymer requires perfluorinated hydrocarbons to go into solution, for one.  If your solvent is so aggressive that it dissolves 300-series Stainless, for another.  If you have questions, send our application team an email and get a shipment of sample ready.  We will take on nearly any polymer challenge. 

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