Viscosity is an important production characteristic in many industries and a crucial parameter for monitoring quality. In the production of flowing media, viscosity may therefore be business critical. In order to be able to react quickly to unexpected changes in viscosity, measurement in the process, as so-called inline measurement, is necessary.

With inline measurement, measurements are taken directly in the process, for example in a pipeline or in a stirred tank. The advantage of inline measurement is that the viscosity actually present at a defined measuring point in the process is measured. When measuring in the laboratory or in a bypass line, there are deviating shear forces which falsify the result, especially with non-Newtonian fluids, considerable effects can be expected.

If the viscosity increases with increasing shear stress, these fluids are called shear-thickening or dilatant fluids. Shear-thinning fluids are fluids in which the viscosity decreases with increasing shear stress. If other shear stresses are present in the laboratory or in a bypass, which is to be expected, strongly deviating or not meaningful measurement results are therefore pre-programmed.

Ideally, therefore, the viscosity in the process should be measured inline for the reasons mentioned above.

Brabender Messtechnik manufactures the CONVIMETER inline rotational viscometer which is used, for example, in the food industry (chocolate, processed cheese, gelatine), in the healthcare sector (shampoo, detergents, creams) and in the chemical industry (petroleum, adhesives, varnish, plastic melts). With this measuring device, it is possible to measure the viscosity in the process at low shear rate and good material exchange.