Sample cell and support assembly for enhanced rheological measurements of soft matter and materials
AssigneeSTF Technologies, LLC
InventorsNorman J. Wagner, Richard Dombrowski, John W. Lim, Yu-Jiun Lin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Sample cell devices and support assemblies are disclosed herein. The sample cell includes a novel concentric cylinder and coating design with a right-angle gear drive that enables enhanced rheological measurements in the 1-2 shear plane. The sample call can be used with a support assembly that enables efficient switching between the 2-3, 1-3 shear plane and the 1-2 shear plane without having to remove the sample and allowing for simultaneous imaging with, e.g., SANS or SAXS. Methods for using the sample cell and support assemblies in a 4D-SANS or 4D-SAXS sample environment are also disclosed.
Claims22
A sample cell for simultaneous measuring of rheological properties and interrogation of microstructure in all three primary planes defined by a simple shear field, the sample cell comprising:
- a) a cell geometry comprising a cylinder;
- a shaft;
- a lateral wall and a sidewall, wherein the sidewall extends both above the lateral wall to form an upper circumferential lip and below the lateral wall to form a lower circumferential lip, and wherein the shaft extends axially from the lateral wall;
- b) an enclosure comprising:
- (i) a base portion comprising a bottom inner surface;
- and a lower groove configured to receive the lower circumferential lip of the cell geometry to allow rotation of the lower circumferential lip within the lower groove;
- (ii) a cover portion comprising:
- (A) a top inner surface;
- (B) a bore for receiving the shaft of the cell geometry to allow rotation of the shaft within the bore;
- an upper groove configured to receive the upper circumferential lip of the cell geometry to allow rotation of the upper circumferential lip within the upper groove;
- and
- (iii) a circumferential barrier wall that extends upwardly from the bottom inner surface of the base portion to the top inner surface of the cover portion thereby forming a circular compartment outwardly concentric to the cylinder of the cell geometry, wherein the cylinder of the cell geometry and the circumferential barrier wall form a concentric space for receiving a sample material;
- c) a right-angle gear drive in mechanical communication with the shaft of the cell geometry and configured for mechanical communication with a rotational rheometer shaft;
- and
- d) a coating disposed on surfaces within the circular compartment and further disposed on the cylinder of the cell geometry;
- wherein the shaft is configured to rotate within the bore of the cover portion without making contact with the cover portion, the cylinder is configured to rotate within the enclosure without making contact with the base portion or the cover portion, and the coating prevents leakage of a sample material from the concentric space.
A 4D-rheo assembly comprising:
- (a) support assembly comprising a first cell support and a second cell support;
- (b) a sample cell member comprising:
- (i) a cell geometry comprising a cylinder and a shaft;
- (ii) an enclosure comprising:
- (1) a base portion comprising a bottom inner surface;
- (2) a cover portion comprising:
- (A) a top inner surface;
- and (B) a bore configured to receive the shaft of the cell geometry to allow rotation of the shaft within the bore;
- and
- (3) a circumferential barrier wall that extends upwardly from the bottom inner surface of the base portion to the top inner surface of the cover portion thereby forming a circular compartment outwardly concentric to the cylinder of the cell geometry whereby the cylinder of the cell geometry and the circumferential barrier wall form a concentric space configured to receive a sample material;
- and
- (iii) a coating disposed on surfaces within the circular compartment and further disposed on the cylinder of the cell geometry;
- wherein the shaft is configured to rotate within the bore of the cover portion without making contact with the cover portion, wherein the cylinder is configured to rotate within the enclosure without making contact with the base portion or the cover portion, and wherein the coating prevents leakage of a sample material from the concentric space;
- and
- wherein, when the sample cell member is disposed on the first cell support in an XY orientation, the sample cell member is configured to receive a beam of radiation in 1-3, 2-3 shear planes;
- and wherein, when the sample cell member is disposed on the second cell support in an XYZ orientation, the shaft of the cell geometry is in mechanical communication with a right-angle gear drive and the sample cell member is configured to receive a beam of radiation in the 1-2 shear plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.