Rotational Viscosity Testing of Coatings and Paints with

ViscoQC
Analyzing the viscosity of paints at different speeds shows you how the paint behaves during
e.g. painting the wall. This application report offers you a brief insight on typical measurements
with the rotational viscometer ViscoQC 100/300.

can control the temperature of DIN/SC4 spindles

between +15 °C and +80 °C with a temperature
stability of ±0.1 °C (Figure 1).

1 Introduction
Figure 1: ViscoQC 300 with PTD 80
A rotational viscometer like the ViscoQC 100/300 is
commonly used for quality control of coatings and 2.1 Test Procedure
paints. The viscosity (“thickness”) of the paint
Single-point viscosity determinations using
specifies whether the paint can be applied with a
ViscoQC 100 are perfectly suited for quick quality
brush, a roller, a sprayer, or other methods.
control checks of paints and coatings. For multi-point
Furthermore, paint needs to be applied uniformly to
analysis at different speeds to study the flow behavior,
the surface without uneven ridges.
ViscoQC 300 is the best choice.
1.1 Keywords The upgradeable software package V-Curve has been
Paint, coating, chemical industry, rotational activated on the stand-alone ViscoQC 300. V-Curve
viscometer, viscometer, viscosity, viscosity quality enables you to see online live data in a graph, analyze
control, dynamic viscosity, ASTM D2196 with mathematical regression models and program
steps like a 3ITT test.
2 Experiment
All measurements were performed with 2.2 Test conditions
ViscoQC 100/300 - R rotational viscometer from  To keep cleaning to a minimum the
Anton Paar GmbH according to ASTM D2196-10. disposable measuring system CC12/D18 was
used. ~11.8 mL of the sample were filled in
Sample Synthetic dispersion paint the CC12/D18 and mounted on the ViscoQC
Instrument ViscoQC 100 - R ViscoQC 300 - R with PTD 80.
Measurement  With ViscoQC 100, the viscosity was
Single-point Multi-points
type determined at 40 rpm using the measurement
Spindle CC12/D18 mode “Stop at Time (@t)”. The single-point
Speeds 40 rpm 1 rpm to 100 rpm
measurement time was set to 30 seconds.
 With ViscoQC 300, a linear speed ramp from
Temperature +23 °C
low to high speed with 11 measurement
Table 1: Configuration and measurement conditions during viscosity points was performed using the measurement
tests of paint with ViscoQC 100/300. mode “Speed Scan (SpS)”. The measurement
To control the temperature during the measurement point duration was set to 30 seconds.
the Peltier temperature device PTD 80 was mounted
on the stand of the ViscoQC 100/300. The PTD 80

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  To analyze the thixotropic behavior of the
sample a 3ITT test was programmed on the
ViscoQC 300. The method contains 3 steps:
1. Step: Time Scan at 1 rpm with a target
time of 2 min., a step width of 10 s.
2. Step: Time Scan at 100 rpm with a
target time of 1 min., a step width of
10 s.
3. Step: Time Scan at 1 rpm with a target
time of 5 min., a step width of 10 s.
3 Results and Discussion
A measurement with ViscoQC 100 provides a
viscosity value at one certain speed for quick quality
control checks (Table 2).
Sample
Speed Torque Viscosity
[rpm] [%] [mPa·s]
Paint 40 56 5925
Table 2: Averaged viscosity value of paint analyzed with
ViscoQC 100 – R at 40 rpm at +23 °C (n = 3).
With ViscoQC 300 the flow behavior of the sample
can be analyzed through viscosity determinations at
multiple speeds (Figure 2). The paint shows a shear
thinning flow behavior. Shear thinning means that the
viscosity decreases with increasing speed. The most
significant change in viscosity takes place at low
speeds. The degree of shear thinning can be
calculated automatically using the mathematical
model “Shear thinning index”. Here, the dynamic
viscosity at a low rotational speed is divided by the
viscosity at a speed minimum ten times higher. Higher
ratios indicate a greater shear thinning effect.
ViscoQC 300 upgraded with the V-Curve software
package calculates a shear thinning index of 26.1575
(speeds: 1 rpm and 100 rpm).
Figure 2: Viscosity of paint (+23 °C) analyzed at different speeds
using ViscoQC 300 - R with V-Curve software package.
Through a 3ITT test the application behavior
(sagging/leveling) of the paint can be determined. This
characteristic is also referred to as “thixotropic
behavior” and contributes substantially to whether a
product is viewed negatively or positively by the end
user. The test procedure simulates the application
process with the following three measuring steps:
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1. Rest: Evaluation of the structure of paint in a
can (at rest).
2. High shearing: Evaluation of the structural
decomposition when spraying the paint onto a
wall (application).
3. Rest: Evaluation of the structural regeneration
of paint on the wall over time (after
application).
The third test interval describes the structural
regeneration over time and therefore enables an
evaluation of the surface leveling and sagging
behavior (Figure 3). The structural regeneration over a
certain period of time or the time needed to reach a
certain % of recovery can be calculated manually
(Table 3). In the 2nd step of the measurement a
structural decomposition due to a decrease in
viscosity could be determined. After removing the load
in the 3rd step the structure of the sample regenerates
as the viscosity increases with time. After 5 minutes
the structure has not fully recovered to its initial state
(1st step).
Figure 3: 3ITT test to analyze the sagging and leveling behavior
of paint (+23 °C) using ViscoQC 300 - R with V-Curve software
package.
st
Average viscosity in 1 step 79 456 mPa·s
rd
Viscosity after 60 s in 3 step 70 550 mPa·s
% of recovery after 60 s 89 %
Table 3: Manual calculation of the structural regeneration.
4 Summary
The ViscoQC 100/300 is well suited for rotational
viscosity tests of paints and coatings in quality control.
The viscosity of the paint decreases by increasing the
speed. This type of flow behavior is referred to as
“shear thinning”. It is a common behavior of paint. The
viscosity of the paint at a certain speed gives you
information about its quality. Performing a 3ITT test
gives you an additional insight into the sample’s
application behavior. Besides the measuring system
CC12/D18, RH-spindles (infinite gap) included in the
delivery of ViscoQC 100/300 - R can be used for
analyzing paints and coatings.
If you have further questions regarding this application
report, please contact your local Anton Paar
representative.
Contact Anton Paar GmbH
Tel: +43 316 257-0
support-visco@anton-paar.com
www.anton-paar.com
2 www.anton-paar.com