News Summary:

• New powder rheology capabilities expand TA Instruments’ HR Rheometer as an all-in-one platform for the characterization of material properties of liquids, solids and powders.
• With SmartSwap™ tooling, analytical scientists can switch from liquid to powder rheology within 10 seconds and prepare powder samples 3X faster than competitive products^[i].
• Innovative technology and powerful software enable repeatable powder measurements to deliver insights into product sample performance and processing behavior.

New Castle, Del. – Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) today announced expanded powder rheology capabilities for its TA Instruments HR Rheometers allowing scientists to make repeatable (to within 0.2% Relative Standard Deviation) powder rheology measurements using innovative new tooling and software that enables simple and fast sample prep and analysis. Powder rheology measurements help to ensure successful processing and optimize performance of granular materials used across industries such as pharmaceuticals, batteries, additive manufacturing, food, personal care, and coatings.

“Waters-TA customers rely on rheology measurements of complex fluids and solids to optimize processes and develop high performance products,” said Chris Bedi, Senior Director of Strategic Marketing & Product Solutions, Waters Corporation. “Customers have told us that the powder rheology accessory is a welcome addition to our HR Rheometer line that brings them a new level of convenience when seeking answers to questions about the properties of powders.”

The TA Instruments HR Powder rheology accessory measures properties such as cohesion, stability, flowability energy and compressibility under industrially relevant processing conditions and to help laboratories:

• Screen battery electrode coatings, both solvent-based slurries and solvent-free dry coatings, to prevent defects and reduce cell failure rates
• Mix, granulate and compress solid-dose pharmaceutical tablets to prevent instabilities of API/excipient blends
• Optimize storage and transport of industrial powder materials and avoid supply chain disruptions

With innovative SmartSwap tooling, the HR Rheometer is quickly converted from a solids or liquids toolset to receive powder rheology samples. A new powder rheology application for TA Instruments’ TRIOS software handles the data gathering duties and reports key performance indicators, enabling scientists to seamlessly switch between measuring critical material attributes of liquids, pastes, gels, solids and – now – powders.

“For those making occasional powder rheology measurements, a dedicated powder rheometer may be an unwise investment. Our customers’ needs can change day-to-day, from routine viscosity testing one day to troubleshooting an urgent powder processing problem the next,” said Sarah Cotts, Powder Rheology Product Manager, Waters Corporation. “The HR rheometer has the flexibility to accommodate whatever format the sample comes in – be it liquids, solids, or powders – and improve the agility and productivity of every lab.”

The new Powder Rheology Accessory is available immediately for new or existing TA Instruments HR Rheometers.

Additional Resources

• Learn more about TA Instruments HR Rheometers
• Download a copy of the HR Rheometer Powder Rheology Accessory brochure  
• Follow and connect with Waters via LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook

About Waters Corporation (www.waters.com)

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT), a global leader in analytical instruments and software, has pioneered chromatography, mass spectrometry, and thermal analysis innovations serving the life, materials, and food sciences for more than 60 years. With more than 7,800 employees worldwide, Waters operates directly in more than 35 countries, including 14 manufacturing facilities, and with products available in more than 100 countries.

Waters, TA Instruments, and SmartSwap are trademarks of Waters Corporation.

^[i]Internal estimate based on 40 seconds to prepare a powder shear sample for the TA Instruments HR Rheometer as compared to two minutes to prepare a sample for the same test on an Anton Paar rheometer.