The CaBER 1 for quantifying the extensional properties of fluids

The Capillary Breakup Extensional Rheometer (CaBER) is the only commercially available rheometer for measuring extensional properties. The CaBER 1 was designed by the Cambridge Polymer Group and is manufactured by Thermo Haake.

Many different experimental techniques for measuring the elongational properties of non-Newtonian fluids have been developed over the last 30 years. All these techniques were difficult to operate, generated complex flows and therefore confusing results. As a consequence successful commercially available instruments did not exist - until the CaBER 1.

Knowledge of the elongational behaviour of fluids is important for both industrial and basic research purposes. Complex flows that contain strong extensional components occur in many industrial processes and applications. Some examples are extrusion flows, coating flows, contraction flows and fibre spinning flows. Most materials exhibit very different responses in an extensional flow compared to a shearing flow. The thinning and breakup of a fluid filament that is analysed with the CaBER instrument provides valuable information about the materials physical properties that rotational rheometers simply can not provide.

The CaBER 1 is suitable for examining: • Adhesives - Measurement of tackiness - Solvent loss or gain • Associating polymers • Biomaterials • Surfactants • Consumer goods - Filling of bottles - Time to breakup - Solvent loss - Processability • Food products - Stringiness/strand formation - Time to breakup - Relaxation of doughs - Elastic instabilities • Industrial resins - Relaxation time spectrum - Constitutive modelling - Spinnability

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