Method and apparatus for characterizing materials by using a mechanical resonator
AssigneeSymyx Technologies, Inc.
InventorsLeonid Matsiev, James Bennett, Eric McFarland
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for measuring properties of a liquid composition includes a mechanical resonator, such as a cantilever, connected to a measurement circuit. The mechanical resonator's response over the frequency range depends on various characteristics of the liquid being tested, such as the temperature, viscosity, and other physical properties. The invention is particularly suitable for combinatorial chemistry applications, which require rapid analysis of chemical properties for screening.
Claims16
A method for the determination of viscosity of a fluid comprising:
- a) providing at least one cantilever;
- b) vibrating said at least one cantilever;
- c) calibrating said at least one cantilever by observing decaying free oscillations of said at least one cantilever when said vibratory means is terminated using a vacuum or a known fluid as a standard;
- d) measuring the decay in free oscillations of the at least one cantilever in an unknown fluid;
- and
- e) calculating the viscosity of the unknown fluid by reference to the standard.
A method for the determination of the completeness of a chemical reaction or process comprising observing the change in the viscosity of solution or mixture using the method according to:
- a) providing at least one cantilever;
- b) vibrating said at least one cantilever;
- c) calibrating said at least one cantilever by observing decaying free oscillations of said at least one cantilever when said vibrating is terminated using a vacuum or a known fluid as a standard;
- d) measuring the decay in free oscillations of the at least one cantilever in an unknown fluid;
- and
- e) calculating the viscosity of the unknown fluid by reference to the standard.
A method for determining the presence of inhomogenieties and gradients in a flowing fluid comprising observing the viscosity or density using a method according to:
- a) providing at least one cantilever;
- b) vibrating said at least one cantilever;
- c) calibrating said at least one cantilever by observing decaying free oscillations of said at least one cantilever when said vibrating is terminated using a vacuum or a known fluid as a standard;
- d) measuring the decay in free oscillations of the at least one cantilever in an unknown fluid;
- and
- e) calculating the viscosity of the unknown fluid by reference to the standard.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.