PISCATAWAY, NJ - A new particle characterisation and rheology laboratory is being installed at the Center for Ceramic Research (CCR) at Rutgers (State University of New Jersey), as part of a collaborative project between the university and Malvern Instruments. Malvern is providing a suite of instrumentation that will be used by researchers from the CCR, other university departments and partnership universities (Penn State and New Mexico) to continue the exploration of the links between rheology and particle characteristics. The new facility will be managed by Professor Richard Haber, director of the CCR.

"Properties such as particle size, size distribution and zeta potential often directly influence rheological behaviour," said Professor Haber. "Malvern recognises this and, uniquely, has in-house expertise and instrumentation in both fields. They are an excellent partner for our work. We look forward to using these new tools to push forward understanding in this industrially important area."

The 500 square foot laboratory will contain rotational and capillary rheometers – the Gemini and RH 2000 respectively. These will be complemented by a Zetasizer Nano S for nanoparticle characterisation, and a Mastersizer 2000 for laser diffraction-based particle size measurement in the range 0.02-2000 microns. All of these state-of-the-art instruments are manufactured by Malvern Instruments.

"Both rheology and particle characterisation are core to Malvern's materials characterisation business, so we are delighted to be collaborating with Professor Haber and the CCR," said Fred Mazzeo, Americas Product Manager – Rheometry, Malvern Instruments. "We know that the world-class researchers at Rutgers will make great use of our systems and we look forward to seeing the results. There is enormous interest in exploring the links between particle properties and rheology, and the outcome of this research will have widespread application."

Malvern Instruments provides a range of complementary materials characterisation tools that deliver inter-related measurements reflecting the complexities of particulates and disperse systems, nanomaterials and macromolecules.