Facilities

RVA

Newport Scientific Rapid Visco Analyser - starch gelation rheology

Rheometers

The Food Characterisation Group has access to a large number of rheometers, some of which are particularly suitable for the study of food flow behaviour:
§ Rheometrics Rheometer for Fluids and Solids (ARES)
§ Rheometrics Rheometer for low Viscosity Fluids and Solids (RDSII)
§ Capillary Rheometer for Solutions and Suspensions
§ On-line dual-slit rheometer (Rheo-Pac type) for twin screw extrusion

The ARES rheometer used for the characterisation of honeys

RDS-II Rheometer

Rheo-NMR

Schematic diagram of the Rheo-NMR, which allows measurement of spatially-resolved dynamic processes within the NMR imaging spectrometer.

Extrusion facilities

Eurolab Prism KX16 - twin screw extruder (40:1 L:D ratio).

Ultrasound

Dr Hielscher UP400S - ultrasonic probe

Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis

Rheometric Scienctific DMTA IV

Differential Scanning Calorimeters

The DSC is a thermal analysis instrument that determines the temperature and heat flow between a sample and an inert reference as a function of time, temperature and pressure. It provides quantitative and qualitative data on endothermic and exothermic processes of materials during physical transitions that are caused by phase changes and differences in heat capacities during transitions such as melting, oxidation and other heat-related changes. Some of the uses in our lab include determination of glass transition temperature, melting transitions of polymer blends and vitrification times for thermoset systems.

TA - Modulated DSC

Perkin Elmer Pyris 1 - differential scanning calorimeter

Instron Tensile and Compression Testing Machine

The Instron 5584 is a fully equipped, industrial sized tensile testing machine which allows us to determine a solid material's mechanical characteristics. Testing can be carried out in tension and compression modes for determination of tensile properties, flexural modulus, material hardness, compressibility etc. upon materials such as plastic films/rigids/foams, food stuffs and metals. The Instron is presently being used for research and consulting (i.e. quality control) purposes.

Other equipment available includes:

Miniature Tensile Testing Machine
Gnomix Pressure-Volume-Temperature (PVT) Machine
Perkin Elmer Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer 2000 (FTIR)
Karl Fischer Moisture Analyzer: Mettler DL37 KF Coulometer

Molecular Weight Analyzer: Alliance GPCV 2000 from Waters

Omni Lab scale homogeniser

Brookfield DV-III - viscometer

Novasina Thermoconstanter - water activity meter

Stable Micro Systems TA-XT2 - texture analyser