MALVERN, UK - Malvern Instruments Ltd., Malvern, UK, has announced an exclusive global distribution agreement with RheoSense Inc., San Ramon, CA, to promote, market, sell and support the VROC product range into industrial applications. The agreement enables Malvern to add the m-VROCi, microfluidic Viscometer/Rheometer On a Chip, to its existing portfolio of rotational and capillary rheometers, extending the company’s offering to industrial customers across the globe.

Delivering accurate, robust, fully enclosed viscosity measurement, at high shear rates, the m-VROCi addresses an established need to measure low-viscosity fluids under process-relevant conditions. The results have proven application for the characterization and enhancement of inkjet inks, coatings, rechargeable batteries, lubricants, chemical and food additives, and drink formulations.

“We are delighted to be working with RheoSense Inc. to bring the benefits of the m-VROCi to industrial customers across the globe,” said Steve Carrington, Product Manager for Malvern Instruments. “The m-VROCi is highly complementary to the existing Malvern rheological portfolio, extending robust, fully enclosed (no solvent loss) flow curve measurement into areas that simply aren’t accessible with alternative rheological instrumentation.”

The m-VROCi is a hybrid microfluidic and MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical-system) sensor-based instrument. It determines viscosity by controlling sample volume flow rate and measuring changes in pressure as the sample passes along a microfluidic scale flow channel with embedded MEMS pressure sensors. Control software allows the quick and easy production of flow-curves, plots of viscosity as a function of shear rate, for sensitive and detailed rheological analysis.