Anton Paar offers new polymer solutions with Brabender products | Plastics News

Anton Paar recently took over the long-established company Brabender. The acquisition complements Anton Paar's product portfolio in the field of material characterization for the polymer industry.

The areas of application are very diverse – from plastics, to rubber, batteries, and other special applications: Specially tailored to the polymer sector, Brabender devices enable the optimization of production process workflows, addressing industry-specific challenges. They are applicable across various areas, from quality control of raw materials, formulation and research, and development, to production, compounding, and quality control of the final product.

The new devices enable in-depth analysis of the physical properties of polymer products.

The quality of the final plastic product is directly influenced by the level of residual moisture, emphasizing the need for consistent moisture content to ensure reproducible processes. "With the Aquatrac-V moisture analyzer, the water content in plastics can be determined in accordance with DIN EN ISO 15512:2019. The device for residual moisture analysis uses the globally recognized calcium hydride method to determine the water content. It conducts reproducible and highly precise measurements (0.0001% or 1 ppm resolution) without requiring highly trained staff. In addition, the measurements can be called up from any device," explains Product Manager Christian Witt.

With its elegant and robust design for dirty working environments, the new AbsorptoMeter can be used for the quality control of powdery materials, carbon black, and silica, measuring their oil absorption number. Unlike manual methods, it is suitable for the precise characterization of materials used in battery, car tire, and cosmetic powder production. Reproducible and globally standardized measurement results can be achieved in accordance with the ASTM standard. Applied in battery research, the AbsorptoMeter provides information on how efficiently the raw materials can absorb liquids or electrolytes. This allows conclusions to be drawn about the performance, service life, and stability of batteries.

The AbsorptoMeter measures and records the torque during the entire mixing process. Using the automatic precision dosing pump, the test fluid is continuously added to the powder in the measuring mixer and supports viscosities of up to 1000000 mPas. Finally, the liquid is absorbed by the structure of the sample material. Depending on the desired application, Anton Paar has various accessories in its portfolio, like different mixer geometries for different applications.

Customers can use Brabender extruders to optimize or develop new polymer compounds, manufacture products of various dimensions, shapes and compositions, and modify different materials at laboratory scale. Applications include PVC, blown and flat films, 3D printing filaments, and bio-based polymer formulations. Brabender mixers are applied for incoming inspection and determination of parameters such as melting and curing behavior in preliminary tests.

A large proportion of the plastic packaging produced worldwide is manufactured using extrusion. Brabender laboratory extruders, with an application-specific die and suitable downstream equipment, are suitable for the production of blown or flat films, haul-off, and tempering and winding up polymer extrudates. Optical systems can be used to reliably detect inhomogeneities and statistically evaluate the film quality.

When it comes to film production, high product quality and cost-effective production are essential. Above all, plastic films must be robust and durable. That is why it is crucial to know the processing characteristics of the raw materials used. For this purpose, various modular, flexible, scalable, and customizable product solutions are available from Brabender for a wide range of requirements. Only reliable analysis of the processing properties ensures consistent quality of extruded films. The instrument solutions play a dual role by identifying raw material properties, aiding in the accurate selection of materials, and simultaneously reducing waste resulting from the use of unsuitable materials.

Brabender has decades-long experience with PVC and offers suitable rheometers and extruders for this purpose. Measuring mixers are used e. g. to examine the plasticizing behavior, thermal and shear stability, as well as the flow behavior of PVC formulations. In addition, their compounding properties after addition of additives can be analyzed. Brabender extruders enable the production of profiles, pipes, cables, and round strands made of PVC.

The small-scale production of filaments made from thermoplastics or thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) for 3D printing is possible with a Brabender extrusion line. It can be composed by a stand-alone or modular extruder, supplemented by a corresponding cooling section and winding device. A 3D printer can be used to test the processability of the filaments produced.

Bio-based plastics are made entirely or partly from renewable raw materials and represent sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics, which are primarily made from crude oil. The challenge for producers is to develop bio-based plastics whose properties are on a par with traditional products: “By using our equipment, the processing properties of bio-based plastics and mixtures can be tested on a laboratory scale.

This enables the development of alternatives to the respective fossil-based plastics without the original source being identifiable,” says Product Manager Michael Stanko.

With the MetaBridge standard device software, instruments are easy to operate, especially via the large, touchscreen-optimized display. They can be connected to third-party systems such as LIMS and ERP so that measurements can be shared with colleagues anywhere at any time. For even more flexibility at work.

Founded in 1922 in Graz (Austria), Anton Paar is the world market leader in the measurement of density and concentration, the determination of dissolved carbon dioxide, and the fields of rheometry and viscometry. Anton Paar’s customers include most of the major beer and soft drink manufacturers worldwide, companies active in the food, chemicals, petroleum, and pharmaceutical industries, as well as leading academic groups.

For many decades, Anton Paar has combined precise mechanical production with the latest achievements in the fields of research and development. In recent years, the Anton Paar GmbH has invested up to 20 % of its annual turnover in research and development. The company offers analytical solutions that are produced within its nine producing sites (in Europe and the USA). Additionally, the company has created a soccer simulator: in the “skills.lab,” professionals and amateurs can perfect their skills under real conditions.

The Anton Paar Group operates in more than 110 countries and has 37 sales subsidiaries and 11 producing firms in Europe and the USA. More than 4,400 employees in a worldwide network spanning research and development, production, sales, and support are responsible for the quality, reliability, and service of products made by Anton Paar. Since 2003, the Charitable Santner Foundation has been the owner of Anton Paar. It is dedicated exclusively and directly to charitable purposes. In 2022, the company generated net sales revenue of 545.6 million Euro.

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