RheOptiCAD

A Thermo-Mechanical Rheo-Optical Device

 

 

Developed in collaboration between AgroParisTech, INRA and CAD Instruments, 

RheOptiCAD® is high standard device for imaging complex systems, from

liquids to solids, under thermo-mechanical treatments.

Uniaxial shear is performed by translation of two parallel plates and temperature is 

controlled using a Peltier module coupled to a water cooling system.

RheOptiCAD® is adaptable to all optical or confocal inverted microscopes, and 

presents a simple, fast and reproducible way of sampling, 

not depending on commercial microscopy glasses.

 

 

 

Features and Benefits 

-   Large gap range for an easy and adaptable sampling

-   Perfect planarity and parallelism of shearing plates

-   Suction system for microscopy glasses hold

-   Observation based on ZVP principle

-   Motion: linear, strain jump or oscillation
-   Electric torque measurement for force estimation
-   Controlled heating and cooling rate with Peltier system
-   Computer controlled through Ethernet plug
-   Data recording
-   Designed for commercial microscopy glass
-   Thermo-mechanical characteristics similar to rheological devices

 

 

 

Gap width:  0 - 5 mm

Strain:  0.02 - 320

Shear:  0.01 - 400 s-1

Load Force:  0 - 16 N

Frequency:  0.1 - 10 Hz

Observation zone: ~ 140 mm²

Temperature
   • range:  10 - 80°C
   • rates:  0 - 10°C.min-1

Shear cell geometry:

   • cube 20 cm side
   • weight ~ 5 kg

References

Boitte J-B., Vizcaino C., Benyahia L., Herry J-M., Michon C. and Hayert M., (2013). A novel rheo-optical device for studying complex fluids

in a double shear plate geometry. Review of Scientific Instrument, 84, (1), 13709

Boitte J-B, Hayert M. and Michon C. (2013). Observation of wheat flour doughs under mechanical treatment using confocal microscopy
and classification of their microstructures. Journal of Cereal Science, (in press)