Measurement Method

Measuring viscosity coefficient is useful for evaluating viscidity. Several types of

viscometers exist and are classified into five types by their measurement principle.
1. Vibro Viscometer: Measures viscosity by controlling the amplitude of the transducer
immersed in a sample and measuring the electric current that drives the transducer.
2. Rotational Viscometer: Measures viscosity by measuring the running torque of the
cylindrical rotors immersed in a sample.
3. Capillary Viscometer: Obtains viscosity by letting a sample flow inside the capillary
and measuring the difference in pressures between both ends of the capillary.
. Falling-Ball Viscometer: Obtains viscosity by measuring the time it ta!es for a
cylindrical or spherical ob"ect to fall through a sample over a specific distance.
#. Cup-Type Viscometer: Obtains viscosity by measuring the time it ta!es a sample to
flow out of the orifice of the sample container.
Vibro Viscometer
$he figure 1 shows the basic mechanism of one of the vibro viscometers% &'()s Sine*
wave +ibro +iscometer. ,hen the spring plates are vibrated with a uniform frequency%
the amplitude varies in response to the amount of frictional force produced by the
viscidity between the sensor plates and the sample. $o produce uniform amplitude% the
vibro viscometer controls the electrical current that drives the vibration of the spring
plates.
-ecause the frictional force of viscidity is directly proportional to the viscosity% the
driving electric current for vibrating the spring plates with a constant frequency to
produce uniform amplitude is also directly proportional to the viscosity of each sample.
$he vibro viscometer measures the driving electric current% and then the viscosity is given
by the positive correlation between the driving electric current and the viscosity.
Rotational Viscometer
& motori.ed cylindrical rotor is inserted into a sample and rotated at a constant speed.
$he rotational viscometer employs the measurement method that assumes viscosity is
directly proportional to a running torque required to produce a steady rotating motion. &s
shown in figure 2% when the rotation becomes steady% the running torque caused by the
viscosity and the twist of the spring is balanced. $he twist angle of the spring is
proportional to the viscosity of the sample% and an index of this is displayed on the scale.
Some devices display the digital value of the viscosity coefficient converted from running
torque. $he method shown in figure 2% the single cylindrical rotational viscometer.
/n principle% the rotational viscometer is a fine measurement method. 0owever% it requires
several !inds of rotors to cover a wide range of measurement. $he measurement range of
a single rotor is narrow and% as a result% the continuity of a measurement is disturbed and
lost when exchanging rotors. /n addition% the measurement accuracy is guaranteed only
for the full scale. 1rrors in measurement are inevitable in the lower viscosity range.
/n the worst case% accurate viscosity might not be obtained because viscosity varies due to
the gradually rising temperature of a sample after starting the measurement in both lower
and higher viscosity ranges. $his happens because in lower viscosity ranges a larger rotor
is required to detect torque and% in higher viscosity ranges% a higher quantity of !inetic
energy is caused by the greater frictional force exerted on the rotor.
Capillary Viscometer
/n a capillary viscometer% as shown in figure 3% the laminar flow of liquid flows through a
cylindrical capillary tube. 2ou determine viscosity by measuring the flow rate of the fluid
flowing through the capillary tube and the pressure differential between both ends of the
capillary tube. $his measurement method is based on the laws of physics3 therefore% this
is called the absolute measurement of viscosity.
$here is an another type of capillary viscometer% made of glass% is shown in figure .
&lthough using this capillary tube is not easy% it has a simple principle and structure. (ue
to the simplicity of the principle% it has been used for a long time and has been greatly
improved over the years. $his capillary viscometer can obtain !inetic viscosity by
measuring the time it ta!es for a certain amount of sample to flow by free*fall through the
capillary tube.
1ach viscometer is given the viscosity constant% which was valued by calibrating with a
+iscosity Standard 4luid.
$he principle and structure of the capillary viscometer is simple. 0owever% to ta!e
accurate measurements% you must !eep the inside of the capillary viscometer very clean.
-efore each measurement you must clean it using a cleaning liquid such as ben.ene%
followed by another cleansing with acetone% then rinse using purified water. &lso% a
thorough drying of the capillary tube is required between each cleaning.
$emperature control is also essential because glass is susceptible to thermal expansion or
contraction under the influence of temperature% especially in lower viscosity ranges.
$hese thermal impacts might introduce errors to the measurement. 2ou must also
measure the density of the measuring sample beforehand because the viscosity is given
by calculating from the measured result acquired as !inetic viscosity.
Falling-Ball Viscometer
$he falling*ball viscometer measures viscosity by dropping 5free*fall6 a column* or
sphere*shaped rigid body with !nown dimensions and density into a sample and
measuring the time ta!en for it to fall a specific distance. 4igure # illustrates the principle
for the viscosity measurement under the law of free*fall of a rigid body in the gravity
field. &nother type of device measures traveling time when hori.ontally transporting a
rigid body% such as a piston% in a sample fluid at a constant speed by the force applied by
the electromagnetic field.
7nli!e the vibro or rotational viscometers% the capillary and falling*ball viscometers
shown in figures and # cannot continuously measure viscosity. /t is also impossible to
continuously output digital signals of viscosity coefficient or to control data.
Cup Type Viscometer
,hen measuring the viscosity of paint or in!% the cup type viscometer as shown in figure
8 is sometimes used. $he same method is also employed for ad"usting the viscosity of
coating applied to automobile exteriors using an electrostatic atomi.ation paint sprayer.
&s shown in the figure% the cup type viscometer measures the time it ta!es for a sample
filled in a cup of a specific capacity to outflow from the orifice of the cup. $he 4ord 9up
+iscometer is a typical cup type viscometer.
:ormally% the time the sample ta!es to outflow from the orifice is measured using a
stopwatch. 0owever% the digital 4ord 9up +iscometer detects the outflow of the sample
with an optical sensor% automatically calculates the time necessary to finish continuous
outflow% and digitally indicates it by ;.;1 seconds.
<i!e the capillary and falling*ball viscometers% the cup type viscometer is not suited for a
continuous measurement of viscosity because data as an electronic signal is difficult to
obtain in the measurement.
Sine-Wave Vibro Viscometer
&'()s Sine*wave +ibro +iscometer S+ Series is designed for sensitive viscosity
measurement. $he S+ Series provides a wide dynamic range and high resolution by
vibrating with a frequency of about 3; 0.% which is equivalent to the resonance of the
detection system. &s a result% the S+*1; handles the dynamic range from ;.3 m=a>s to
1;%;;; m=a>s% and can continuously measure in the measurement range with
repeatability% accuracy% and stability. $his wide dynamic range enables it to measure
viscosity changes in processes of thixotropy liquid during its turning from sol 5colloidal
solution6 into gel% or in such processes as curing resin% adhesive% or paint% which
conventional rotational viscometers cannot continuously measure.
&'()s +ibro +iscometer has a unit to detect viscosity of a sample% which is composed of
two thin sensor plates that vibrate as shown in figure ?. /t drives the sensor plates to
vibrate at uniform sine*wave vibration in reverse phase% li!e a tuning for!.
$o resonate the measuring system% the sensor plates are driven with electromagnetic force
at the same frequency as resonance% which is characteristic of each structure. $he use of
resonance is the most prominent feature of this viscometer. ,hen the detection unit
vibrates% it produces si.able magnitude of reaction force on the supporting unit of sensor
plates via the spring plates. 1ach sensor plate is driven in reverse phase against the other
at the same vibration frequency and amplitude in order to cancel the reaction force. $his
enables it to obtain stable sine*wave vibration.
$he electromagnetic drive unit controls the vibration of the sensor plates in a sample at
uniform amplitude% utili.ing the resonance of the detection unit. $he driving electric
current as the exciting force is detected as the magnitude of the viscidity which is present
between the sensor plates and the sample. $he viscosity coefficient is given by the
correlation 5figure @6 between the driving electric current and the magnitude of the
viscidity.
$he resonance of the detection unit allows viscosity detection with high sensitivity in
lower viscosity ranges% and also effectively acquires a driving force with "ust a small
amount of electric current. $hus% it is possible to measure viscosity while maintaining a
wide dynamic range and high resolution. $he newly developed S+ method 5$uning*for!
+ibration Method6 achieves accuracy with repeatability as high as 1 A of Beading in
viscosity measurement. $here is no need to exchange sensor plates during continuous
measurement. $his is different from rotational viscometers% which require several !inds
of rotors% and in which continuity of viscosity measurement is disturbed and lost when
exchanging them.
$he S+ Series comes equipped with the ,in9$*+iscosity% ,indows 9ommunication
$ools Software. ,ith ,in9$*+iscosity% you can create real time graphs of data on
viscosity and temperature as shown in 4igure C. /n addition% the scaling function is
available and the logarithm display is selectable in the function. Saving the measurement
data by D9S+D file and opening it with ,in9$*+iscosity is very easy and convenient for
analy.ing sample fluid viscosity.