Akinalytics
Polymer Blog
Specialized Equipment
In addition to the common equipment, PolySciTech® also has some specialized equipment.
HPLC/SEC
Microscope
Stereoscope
Optical Analysis
Akina Inc. offers visual microscope and stereoscope analysis utilizing an Olympus BX51 microscope with pictures recorded via a DP70 camera. These images can be recorded at 1-4 (stereoscope), 20, 60, or 100X magnification.
Texture analyzer shown with
TA-96B: Miniature tensile grips
Mechanical Analysis
Mechanical/Texture Analysis
PolySciTech® offers texture analysis via a Texture Technologies Corporation TA.XTplus. The current configuration utilizes a 5 kg load cell for extreme sensitivity with soft and elastic materials. The testing arm can be equipped with either tensile grips for tensile testing or a ¼ inch steel ball/half inch dacron cylinder for compressive testing.
Typical mechanical tests include elastic modulus from 0-2% strain, stress relaxation (a.k.a. creep) as percent decline in force over 60 seconds of being held at a constant strain, elongation to break, yield stress. Akina can custom design tests to your specifications as well as perform textural tests such as crispiness and firmness. Below are elastic modulus and stress relaxation of some common food ingredients.
| Item | Elasticity (kPa/%) | Stress Relaxation (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Marshmallow - (Great Value) | 0.6 ± 0.1 | 38.3 ± 1.8 |
| Gummi Worm - (Great Value) | 0.7 ± 0.2 | 46.2 ± 2.8 |
| Gum - (Ice Breakers "Ice Cubes") | 29.9 ± 7.7+ | 10.0 ± 1.5 |
| Crouton - (Rothbury Farms) | 36.6 ± 10.4 | 63.4 ± 14.1 |
| Sugar Cube - (Domino) | 112.0 ± 12.1 | NA* |
- + Gum coated with hard sugar coating
- *Sugar cube could not be compressed to 20%
Mechanical analysis can be performed using texture exponent software allowing for mechanical as well as textural properties to be quantified.
Other currently available attachments include:
From left to right:
TA-92N: Three Point Bend Rig
TA-317C: Vertical Friction Rig - Square Plates
A/GMP bio-adhesion probe
From left to right:
TA-8: 1/4" dia. ball, stainless steel
TA-5: 1/2" dia. cylinder, acrylic, 35mm tall
Rheometric Analysis
Rheometer
Rheometric tests can be performed at Akina, Inc. utilizing an AR550 (TA Instruments) Rheometer in the temperature range of ambient to 150°C.
Rheometer attachments
This peltier controlled rheometer has both a 20 and an 8 mm attachment for viscosities ranging from water to viscous polymer melts. Rheometer can do both basic viscosity as well as oscillation measurements with continous or stepped sweeps of temperature, frequency, stress, as well as other variables. G',G", Delta and other rheometric variables are collected in oscillation mode. Rheological as well as molecular information about the material can be gleaned from this data.
Rheometric data can be analyzed on Rheology Advantage Data Analysis software.
Small Lot Sterilization
Akina, Inc. offers small lot ethylene oxide sterilization by a model Z-AX-60-N Sterilizer. Unlike other sterilization methods, sterilization can be done on any material regardless of sensitivity to degradation or lack of heat/radiation resistance. Any kind of plastic, rubber, sensitive, metal, mechanic or electromechanic medical, surgical materials and laboratory equipment can be sterilized. This operates by applying the anti-bacteriologic agent, Ethylene Oxide at 54 °C.
Sterilization is confirmed by ETO sensitive labels as well as by other means and the sterilized material will be packaged aseptically and shipped back to you.
