Molecular modelling helps simulate viscosity tests

Molydyn, University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and Bitrez, UK, are collaborating on the testing.

Virtual experiments help screen out prospects that are unfit for labs, potentially saving time and finances, as well as being more environmentally sustainable. In the latest tests, the viscosity of resins fitted into fibres to make composite materials is tested. If the flow is of the required measurement, a physical test may be performed, helping to save on high-pressure pumps and heating.

Molydyn has a set of polymers that will be tested in the High Value Manufacturing Catapult network, part of the AMRC, in Rotherham.

The tests are expected to give an insight into material simulation, with Development Engineer at the AMRC, Alex Brahinets, saying, ‘From our experience, a material's processability can be a decisive factor in selecting suitable material for a customer's application. For thermoset resins the right viscosity is critical since it determines a material's processability via common methods like infusion or resin transfer moulding. That is why predicting viscosity is essential for designing a new generation of sustainable materials’.

Bitrez is also contributing polymers, including their bio-based materials.

The project is funded by an Innovate UK Transformative Technologies grant.