Determining Melt Index in Continuous Operation

One of the requirements for quality control of polycarbonates is determination of volume and mass flow-rates. To ensure reproducible, operator-independent test results, Bayer uses Zwick's Aflow extrusion plastometer. This instrument was designed to provide a fast, simple and efficient test sequence and supports all current established test standards, including ISO 1133 and ASTM D1238.

In Bayer’s production laboratory at Krefeld-Uerdingen (Germany) testing is carried out in parallel to production, with granulated plastic taken from the production line at regular intervals for determination of the flow rate. This high level of testing is precisely what the Aflow extrusion plastometer is designed for.

To minimize operator influence, freely configurable user profiles can be created via the user management of the testXpert® II testing software and user rights can be tailored specifically to the operator. In this way only functions relevant to the operator are displayed and unwanted or unintentional changes to test parameters are prevented. The laboratory manager naturally still has full access to parameter configuration via the administrator profile. There is also the option of exporting test data to a wide range of databases such as SAP, QDAS, Oracle or Access directly after the test for long-term data security.

Aflow can be used to determine both melt mass flow-rate (MFR) and melt volume flow-rate (MVR). In addition to a straightforward test sequence it offers operator-independent testing through uniform pre-compacting. Other advantages include easy cleaning at the push of a button, the steplessly adjustable test load up to 50kg and precise temperature control to ISO 1133-2.

"Using Aflow has considerably simplified testing in our production laboratory and reduced the time taken. In addition, testXpert II's user rights management guarantees us traceable, reproducible test results," states Herr Ortiz, Laboratory Manager at Bayer Krefeld.

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