Automatic tester for intrinsic viscosity

Paster Felix
5AHMBA

Pühringer Tobias
5AHMBA

Weidinger Fabian
5AHMBA

Wögerbauer Lukas
5AHMBA

Kiesl Walter

Starlinger Viscotec is a company based in St. Martin, which produces recycling plants for the plastics industry. For the recycling process of Polyethylenterephthalat (PET) they need to know the intrinsic viscosity. The measuring process of the intrinsic viscosity includes a lot of manual work. Starlinger Viscotec assigned us to develop a device, which measures the intrinsic viscosity automatically and decrease workload in measurement. We developed a furnace which is flooded with nitrogen during the process. This is necessary in order not to distort the results of the measuring process. In the furnace a carousel hopper of 24 samples is used to reach a high level of automation. Before the measuring process starts the samples have to be filled with PET. After starting the process the samples are heated up to 140°C for a few hours to vaporize the water, which is contained in the PET. After it is heated up to the measurement temperature of 285°C, it is pressed trough a die plate. The viscosity is measured via a force-constant method. A Bernecker & Rainer PLC controls the device. The heating up to 140°C is done by heating coils. The heating process to measurement temperature is done by heating cartridges. The pressing through the die plate and the hopper are each driven by a servo motor.