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Complex Fluids and Rheology Group Laboratory

Overview

We conduct predominantly experimental research on complex fluids. The present area of focus is multiphase systems, especially liquid/liquid systems. This page describes some of the principal tools we use on a daily basis.

Feel free to inquire about more detailed information:

 
Please select equipment at right ->
 
 

AR2000 rheometer

This is the workhorse rheometer in our lab, a stress-controlled device equipped with a Peltier plate for measurements close to room temperature, a convection/radiation chamber for temperatures from -150C to +300C, and several parallel plate and cone-and-plate geometries

 

ARES-LS rheometer

This is a strain-controlled rheometer equipped with a Peltier plate and several measuring geometries. Check back soon for a flow-visualization cell that mounts on the ARES rheometer.

 

Spinning drop tensiometer

This is a custom-built spinning drop tensiometer for measuring the interfacial tension between two immiscible fluids (or surface tension of a fluid). It has a 12 mm diameter tube which can spin up to 10000 rpm. An oven can maintain a temperature of upto 120C. Strobe-illuminated images are collected with a CCD camera.

 

Olympus Inverted microscope

Our workhorse microscope is an Olympus CKX41 inverted fluorescence microscope with several objectives ranging from 4x to 40x, and an area-scan black-and-white camera. We also use awesome microscopes at the Center for Biologic Imaging.

 

Miscellaneous Equipment

  • Leitz upright transmission microscope
  • Meiji stereomicroscope with trinocular head
  • Plasma cleaner
  • Platen press (up to 300C)
  • Ancient but functioning(!) Monsanto Automatic Capillary Rheometer
  • Canon digital Rebel SLR camera
  • 30kV high-voltage power supply (part of an electrospinning setup)
  • Tissuemiser high-shear mixer
  • Syringe pumps

 

Questions, Suggestions, Comments? Send e-mail to:

Benedum Hall

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