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Associated Polymer Labs offers a complete laboratory for your plastic blending, mixing, Rheology, and R&D extrusion needs. Our C.W. Brabender Instruments, Inc. laboratory extruder systems cover the complete range of processing conditions for quality control, product development, research applications, pilot plant and small scale production.

We have four interchangeable mixing heads and one extruder with nine different dies for the two C.W. Brabender systems. The extruders provide close test reproducibility acting as measuring devices for sensing and recording extrusion torque, temperature,and pressure.

Testing is provided for the following product groups:

• liquids, pastes, gels
• food, yogurt, fructan
• polymers, plastics, elastomers
• epoxy, composites, adhesives
• fillers, additives and compounds

Banbury Blades are designed to duplicate the mixing action of a commercial Banbury Mixer, a medium shear-rate mixing action ideal for mixing elastomeric materials, compounding studies, and recycled materials.

Roller Blades are most commonly used for materials that require a strong shear force to form a homogenous melt: thermoplastics, and many thermosetting resins such as phenolics and epoxies.

Typical studies include:

• fusion
• lubricity
• heat stability
• crosslinking
• degradation.

Sigma Blades are the original Brabender® Mixer blades developed several decades ago for the testing of flour dough. Its low shear-rate design creates a tumbling and kneading force within the mixer with low compressing force. Rheology studies are performed on a Rheometrics SR5 controlled stress/strain rheometer. These studies are for characterization of the material structure, which are then used for mixing and blending models.

Typical studies include:

• frequency sweeps
• creep studies
• rate sweeps
• temperature ramps, etc.

Typical process applications include:

• R&D studies
• New Product Development
• Compatibility
• Stability
• Quality Control
• Product Evaluation

Target Industries for services provided include:

• Medical
• Pharmaceutical
• Packaging (films and foams)
• Additives and Compounding
• Recycling, Tool and Die Designers
• Automotive
• Food
• Composite
• Adhesive
• Epoxy
• Circuit Boards
• Thermosets