GELNORM-Therm is a new, exceedingly cost-effective instrument for the accurate, automated and standardized determination of the curing of reactive resins based on time-temperature measurements
The instrument was developed for dual use in research laboratories and production facilities alike and its capabilities are uniquely suited for the development and quality control of a broad range of polymers, including:

• Unsaturated polyester resins
• Epoxy resins
• Polyurethanes
• Acrylic resins

Gelnorm - THERM

The measuring principle is described in detail in standards DIN 16’945, EN ISO 584 and ISO 14848. The instrument operates on the basis of a calorimetric measurement and tracks the exothermal curing reaction by measuring the sample’s temperature as a function of curing time. In contrast to dynamic thermo-analytic measurements, in which the sample is typically exposed to a dynamic temperature range, tests with GELNORM-Therm are conducted in an essentially isothermal environment.

Inserted into a thermostatic bath or at elevated temperatures – heating bloc, the sample rapidly heated to the temperature at which curing shall be monitored.

As a result of the exothermic curing reaction, the temperature of the sample overshoots the one of the thermostatic unit. The instrument records the time-temperature relation of the sample, and a variety of characteristics parameters are automatically determined. The automated gel time determination with GELNORM-Therm offers a reliable, low-cost alternative to rheological solutions as well as to expensive differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) instruments, which due to their technical complexity are often not well suited for routine quality control.

German Version