![viscosity measure viscosity measure](https://www.alphaomega-electronics.com/6458-thickbox_default/nvis-6022-viscosity-measurement-apparatus.jpg)
The fluid is drawn up the tube and the time it takes to flow back down is related to its viscosity. It has no moving parts and simply requires a stop watch and a vacuume bulb. This is a glass tube made with some curves and bulbs. While most every company uses a Brookfield viscometer, there are other options.įor example, there is the Ubbelohde glass capillary viscometer.
![viscosity measure viscosity measure](http://glassproperties.com/viscosity/image005.jpg)
However, if you are a serious formulation chemist you need to have a viscometer and Brookfield makes the industry standard. This adds to the cost of operating it, in addition to the >$1500 that it costs up front.
![viscosity measure viscosity measure](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/511SCZBixSL._SL1500_.jpg)
And the device needs to be callibrated to give consistent readings. For shear thinning products your readings might not be accurate due to the drilling effect. Versatile - you can test lots of different rheologies Easy clean up - you can get multiple readings fastĤ. Speed - you can get a reading in less than 2 minĢ. The Brookfield viscometer is rather simple to use and has a number of benefits over other options includingġ. All the calculating is done by the instrument. Viscosity is measured by looking at the force required to spin a plate through the fluid. In the cosmetic industry the overwhelming instrument of choice for measuring viscosity is the Brookfield Viscometer. But basically you measure viscosity to ensure your product is of consisten quality and that it remains stable. We’ve previously writte about fluid viscosity and I would encourage you to read that to get up to speed on what it is and why you would want to measure it. Viscosity is one of those terms that wasn’t covered much in college but tends to be used a lot in the cosmetic industry. It turns out there are a variety of choices. This reader wanted to know whether they needed an “expensive” Brookfield viscometer or whether they could take viscosity readings another way. There was a question on one of the cosmetic science forums I subscribe to about viscosity.