International Conference on Polymers and Allied materials in Patna, India

The International Conference on Polymers and Allied materials held for the first time in Patna, India by the Indian Insitute of Technology, Patna in collaboration with the Hari Shankar Singhania Elastomer and Tyre Research Institute (HASETRI) gathered over 200 experts from India as well as over 15 overseas countries for an interesting seminar and over 60 lectures over a 3 day period.

MonTech India, attending with its sales and service team and applications experts from MonTech Germany presented a paper on "Latest trends and topics in rubber testing".

Topics presented to the audience and discussed in many questions from the audience were:

• Improved rubber quality at lower costs - improving rubber compounding by dispersion testing. MonTech DisperTester 3000 Series of instruments offers advanced testing possibilities for research and development as well as quality control. In contrast to other Dispersion testing techniques, the MonTech DisperTester series is ideally suited to be used directly in the production environment on cured as well as uncured rubber compounds, being able to test in the Macro-, Micro- and Nanodispersion range down to particle sizes as well as low as 100nm. 
   
• Online silanisation "Payne effect" testing in Rubber Process Analyzers on the shopfloor.
  MonTech Rubber Process Analyzer are built to be used directly next to the mixer or mill for direct feedback as well as batch to batch testing on cure properties. After cure, an automated conditioning of the samples and charaterization of the filler-filler interaction is performed according to international or customer specific application standards. Date reporting and calculation of test results - along with Pass/Fail judgement is completely integrated in the MonControl Software making the system ideally suited for continuous monitoring on the silanisation process.
   
• Density testing online in the production process. MonTech offers new and advanced solutions for online density testing directly in the production process. The MonTech compression density tester is capable of measuring density directly on uncured rubber compounds and masterbatches. This allows faster reaction to production variations cause by raw materials, weighing or dosing systems with out the need for any specific sample preparation. As the testing can be performed in less than 30 seconds, material can immediately be feeded back into the process meaning absolutely no waste or scrap.
   
• Advanced charaterization of Polymers beyond traditional Mooney Viscosity testing. Variable rotor speed testing in Mooney Viscometers can provide important information in reference to the Average Molecular weight and Molecular weight distribution on Polymers over the whole shear rate range that also can seen in the production for perfect process simulation of e.g. extrusion processes. Further variable shear rates in Mooney Viscometers were compared with variable shear rate testing on polymers in MonTech Rubber Process Analyzers. Possible test methods were considered in respect to ISO 13145 as well as possible improvements and adaption of this standard discussed to provide full information about the polymers molecular structure, flow properties and thermal behavior within a quick, single, applicable and reliable test ideally suited for quality control.