Malvern Rheometer Helps Grace Davison Bring New Food-Grade Sealants to Market
Malvern, UK: Grace Davison Materials and Packaging Technologies, a product group of W. R. Grace and Co, a leading supplier of state-of-the-art closure systems for rigid packaging, uses a rotational rheometer from Malvern Instruments to accelerate the development of new food-grade and industrial sealants. The rheology of the sealants is a critical attribute for the performance of the package, from food and beverage cans through to 55-gallon drums that require a hermetic seal. The Malvern rheometer has proven to be a cost-effective, reliable and easy-to-use choice for steady shear and oscillatory testing throughout the product development cycle.
"Using the rheometer shortens research times - a major gain," remarks Salvador Crespo, Senior R&D Chemist, Grace Davison. "The bench top Malvern data provides predictive modelling of liquid and dry flow properties, which are used as a screen to advance new developments into the pilot testing stage. We can get very close to an optimal formulation through small scale rheological testing. The rheometer is easy to clean, and it's simple to switch between different test types for wet or dry samples, aqueous or solvent based systems. Malvern has given us great support to optimise our testing procedures. We are developing a broad line of products to satisfy our customers' needs with state-of-the-art research equipment".
Grace Davison uniquely supplies the industry with both solvent- and water-based can sealants. The Malvern equipment provides flexibility to develop products within both technology platforms. Continuous innovation enables Grace Davison to bring new high performance products to market.
The rheometer combines steady shear and oscillatory testing capability with excellent temperature control. Measuring viscosity as a function of shear rate, and of temperature, enables Grace Davison to optimise raw material choice and formulation composition to reach performance targets. Particularly challenging is the development of stable, highly-filled, high-solids dispersions. Here degradation studies and analysis of the visco-elastic response as a function of time provide the information to formulate products that maintain stable performance under simulated commercial handling conditions. www.malvern.com
About Malvern Instruments
Malvern Instruments is a market leader in measuring performance controlling material properties. These include particle size, particle shape, zeta potential, molecular weight, size and conformation, rheological properties and chemical distribution. Malvern delivers the systems, support and expertise that ensure the analytical integrity and productivity needed to drive research, development and manufacturing.
Malvern's measurement solutions for scientists, technologists and engineers advance continually through customer collaboration. Complementary materials characterization systems deliver inter-related measurements that reflect the complexities of particulates and disperse systems, nanomaterials and macromolecules. Combining intelligently implemented technologies with in-depth industry applications knowledge and support, Malvern provides customers with the competitive advantage they demand.
Headquartered in Malvern, UK, Malvern Instruments has subsidiary organizations in all major European markets, North America, China, Korea and Japan, a joint venture in India, a global distributor network and applications laboratories around the world. www.malvern.com
W. R. Grace & Co. (Grace) is a leading global supplier of catalysts and other products to petroleum refiners; catalysts for the manufacture of plastics; silica-based engineered and specialty materials for a wide range of industrial applications; sealants and coatings for food and beverage packaging, and specialty chemicals, additives and building materials for commercial and residential construction. Founded in 1854, Grace has operations in over 40 countries. For more information, visit Grace's web site at www.grace.com.
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