Scientific Solutions has entered an exclusive distribution agreement with KSV Instruments, Finland as the national Australian and New Zealand distributor of all KSV products.
Scientific Solutions has released commercial interfacial stress Rheometre.
Monolayers are often studied as models for more complex systems, such as bi-layers (e.g. cell membranes), foams or emulsions.
One of the critical properties of monolayers in real systems is the dynamic response to applied mechanical stress. This is referred to as "interfacial rheology" and can now be studied with unparalleled sensitivity using the new Interfacial Shear Rheometre, ISR 400.
Quantitative measurement of shear stress at fluid interfaces has long eluded researchers employing standard rotational rheometres, particularly at low viscosity or elasticity.
With the introduction of the Interfacial Shear Rheometre (ISR 400), KSV removes the guesswork.
A Teflon-coated magnetic needle is floated in a half-cylinder at the gas/liquid or liquid/liquid interface, and moved with an applied magnetic field.
The movement of the needle is observed microscopically, and the difference between applied force and measured position provides phase shift, viscosity, elastic and loss moduli, creep and relaxation times.
Since the KSV Interfacial Shear Rheometre (KSV ISR 400) can be integrated with a standard KSV Langmuir trough, these measurements can be applied to both soluble and insoluble films.
Applications areas include the prediction of emulsion, froth and foam stability, the determination of thin film structure, examination of phase transitions and monitoring surface gelation and network formation in real time.
Also, it is possible to continuous monitor protein adsorption and denaturisation, detect of entanglements and hydrogen bonding in thin films and much more.
LabView-based software allows the user to control the applied stress or strain. Real-time measurements of the surface rheological properties are presented.