The premier temperature device for polymers and thermosets, featuring the fastest temperature response, extreme oxygen exclusion, and unrivaled thermal uniformity
The FCO is a gas convection oven designed for optimum temperature stability, extremely rapid heating and cooling, and ease-of-use over the temperature range of -150 °C to 600 °C. This powerful heating mechanism can heat at controlled rates up to 60 °C/min. An available liquid nitrogen cooling system is employed to achieve rapid, uniform and efficient cooling to temperatures as low as -150 ˚C. Alternatively, mechanical chiller systems can also be used to cool as low as -100 ˚C without the need for liquid nitrogen. The FCO is used primarily for testing polymer melts, thermosetting materials and solid specimens, and provides exceptional exclusion of oxygen, making it an effective option for high temperature testing of polymers with poor oxidative stability. Superior temperature stability and uniformity is achieved through the use of twin element heaters, which produce counter-rotating airflow in the oven chamber to heat the sample quickly and without thermal gradients.
The FCO can be mounted on either side of the test station and comes standard with a long-life internal LED lamp and window viewing port. An optional camera viewer can be used to record real-time sample images throughout experiments. This visual record is helpful for data validation and sample condition verification. A range of geometries are available for the FCO, including parallel plate, cone and plate, solid torsion, cone and partitioned plate (CPP), extensional viscosity fixture (EVF), the SER3-A Universal Testing Platform and a new range of linear DMA clamps.
Features & Benefits
- Forced convection design for superior temperature stability and uniform temperature control
- Twin resistive gun heaters ensure rapid response
- Unique oven cavity design optimizes gas mixing and eliminates thermal gradients
- Wide temperature range: -150 °C to 600 °C
- Maximum heating rate of 60 °C/ min
- Choice of Liquid nitrogen or ACS mechanical chillers for sub-ambient testing
- Wide variety of plates, cones, crosshatched, serrated, and disposable geometries available
- Unrivalled range of options for testing under torsion, bending, compression, tensile, or extensional deformation
- Optional built-in camera viewer
Applications
The Forced Convection Oven is designed to optimize temperature response time, uniformity and stability. Gas is passed over two resistive gun heaters and into the specially shaped oven cavity which optimizes gas mixing and uniformity. Up to five thermocouples within the oven make continuous temperature measurements – the data are used to determine each the commanded power and gas flow of each heating gun to maintain the ideal thermal environment.
Active Temperature Control (ATC):
The ARES-G2 and ARES-G3 rheometers incorporate patented non-contact temperature sensor technology for active measurement and control of both the upper and lower plate temperature (Patent # 6,931,915). Platinum Resistance Thermometers (PRTs) are directly connected in the motor and transducer shafts. These PRTs are positioned in intimate contact with the center of the lower and upper measurement surfaces. The temperature signal is transmitted to Printed Circuit boards, from which the temperature reading is transmitted through a noncontact (wireless) mechanism to secondary boards in both the motor and transducer. These temperature readings enable direct control of both plate temperatures and result in more accurate and responsive temperature control, no vertical temperature gradients and no need for complex calibration procedures and offset tables to infer sample temperatures.
