Anton Paar has introduced the Brabender AbsorptoMeter, an automated system designed to measure liquid absorption and oil absorption in powders including carbon black, pigments, silica and battery electrode materials.
The instrument is intended to automate oil absorption number (OAN) and compressed oil absorption number (COAN) testing, replacing manual procedures with a digital workflow that aims to improve repeatability, traceability and data integration.
According to Anton Paar, the system supports standardised ASTM and ISO test methods and can be used for conventional carbon black analysis as well as recovered carbon black (rCB), graphene, fillers, pigments and battery raw materials. In battery development, it can also carry out absorption measurements using solvents including N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), enabling users to assess solvent demand, mixing behaviour and wettability.
At the centre of the system is a motor capable of delivering up to 25 Nm of torque. During testing, a precision metering pump doses liquid into a powder sample while torque is continuously recorded, generating a torque curve that can be used to monitor changes in agglomeration and consistency over time.
Measuring oil absorption across multiple materials and viscosities
Anton Paar said the instrument can be configured for a wide range of materials and viscosities. Titration rates can be adjusted between 0.025 mL/100 g and 100 mL/100 g, while up to four burettes can be connected either sequentially or in parallel for multi-liquid dosing. The company said this allows users to simulate more complex formulations and work with liquids having viscosities of up to 150,000 mPa·s, including NMP.
The system also incorporates automated start-up and cleaning routines designed to minimise preparation time and maintain consistent testing conditions. Temperature control is provided through an integrated thermostat for the mixer chamber, helping to improve comparability between batches and test locations.
A key feature of the new instrument is the integration of Anton Paar’s MetaBridge software platform. Running on an onboard PC and touchscreen interface, the software guides users through the weighing process using direct data transfer and configurable tolerance limits. Tests cannot begin unless sample weights fall within the specified range.
During operation, MetaBridge synchronises motor speed, torque acquisition and titration flow rate in real time. The software can also automatically stop a test when a predefined point on the absorption curve, such as maximum torque, has been reached, reducing solvent consumption and testing time.
Users can monitor measurements locally or remotely through a web browser connected to the company network. Additional analytical tools include reference curve overlays and correlation analysis, which can be used to compare results against specifications and identify deviations during testing.
Test data can be exported in formats including CSV, PDF and XML and integrated with enterprise systems through Brabender WebAPI, shared network folders or OPC UA connectivity.
The Brabender AbsorptoMeter supports OAN and COAN testing and includes a database of pre-configured methods as well as custom method creation. Anton Paar said the system complies with ASTM D2414, ASTM D3493, ASTM D6854, ISO 787-5, ISO 4656, ISO 19246, ISO 787-2 and YB/T 6139.2 standards.
