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NL2035219B1 - Apparatus, system and methods for high-frequency extensional rheology - Google Patents

Apparatus, system and methods for high-frequency extensional rheology Download PDF

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Publication number
NL2035219B1
NL2035219B1 NL2035219A NL2035219A NL2035219B1 NL 2035219 B1 NL2035219 B1 NL 2035219B1 NL 2035219 A NL2035219 A NL 2035219A NL 2035219 A NL2035219 A NL 2035219A NL 2035219 B1 NL2035219 B1 NL 2035219B1
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microbubble
acoustic wave
acoustic
measured
radius
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NL2035219A
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Dutch (nl)
Inventor
Lee Yu-Fan
Garbin Valeria
Marinus Henricus Meesters Gabriel
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Univ Delft Tech
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Priority to NL2035219A priority Critical patent/NL2035219B1/en
Priority to PCT/NL2024/050321 priority patent/WO2025005788A1/en
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    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01NINVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N29/00Investigating or analysing materials by the use of ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves; Visualisation of the interior of objects by transmitting ultrasonic or sonic waves through the object
    • G01N29/02Analysing fluids
    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01NINVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N11/00Investigating flow properties of materials, e.g. viscosity, plasticity; Analysing materials by determining flow properties
    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01NINVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N11/00Investigating flow properties of materials, e.g. viscosity, plasticity; Analysing materials by determining flow properties
    • G01N11/10Investigating flow properties of materials, e.g. viscosity, plasticity; Analysing materials by determining flow properties by moving a body within the material
    • G01N11/16Investigating flow properties of materials, e.g. viscosity, plasticity; Analysing materials by determining flow properties by moving a body within the material by measuring damping effect upon oscillatory body
    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01NINVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N29/00Investigating or analysing materials by the use of ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves; Visualisation of the interior of objects by transmitting ultrasonic or sonic waves through the object
    • G01N29/02Analysing fluids
    • G01N29/032Analysing fluids by measuring attenuation of acoustic waves
    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01NINVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N29/00Investigating or analysing materials by the use of ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves; Visualisation of the interior of objects by transmitting ultrasonic or sonic waves through the object
    • G01N29/02Analysing fluids
    • G01N29/036Analysing fluids by measuring frequency or resonance of acoustic waves
    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01NINVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N29/00Investigating or analysing materials by the use of ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves; Visualisation of the interior of objects by transmitting ultrasonic or sonic waves through the object
    • G01N29/22Details, e.g. general constructional or apparatus details
    • G01N29/222Constructional or flow details for analysing fluids
    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01NINVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N11/00Investigating flow properties of materials, e.g. viscosity, plasticity; Analysing materials by determining flow properties
    • G01N2011/0026Investigating specific flow properties of non-Newtonian fluids
    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01NINVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N11/00Investigating flow properties of materials, e.g. viscosity, plasticity; Analysing materials by determining flow properties
    • G01N2011/006Determining flow properties indirectly by measuring other parameters of the system
    • G01N2011/0073Determining flow properties indirectly by measuring other parameters of the system acoustic properties

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
  • Biochemistry (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Immunology (AREA)
  • Pathology (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Investigating Or Analyzing Materials By The Use Of Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)

Abstract

The present invention is in the field of an apparatus investigating or analysing materials by determining their physical properties, in particular rheological properties, a method of 5 measuring extensional rheology of a material, in particular a high throughput method, and a computer program for carrying out the method of measuring extensional rheology of a mate- rial.

Description

P100858NL00
Apparatus, system and methods for high-frequency extensional rheology
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is in the field of an apparatus investigating or analysing materials by determining their physical properties, in particular rheological properties, a method of measuring extensional rheology of a material, in particular a high throughput method, and a computer program for carrying out the method of measuring extensional rheology of a mate- rial.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is in the field of rheology. Rheology relates to flow properties of matter, typically being a liquid. It may also be relevant for soft solids, materials with plasticity properties in that they flow rather than deforming elastically in response to an applied force.
Rheology is considered to be a part of physics, and it is regarded to deal with the deformation and flow of materials. Rheological measurements can be performed on complex substances in view of their microstructure. Many of these substances find application in daily life, such as bodily fluids, biological materials, foods, and suspensions.
Liquids can be characterized, for instance in terms of viscoelasticity. Typically the terms “Newtonian” and “Non-Newtonian” are used. For a Newtonian fluid viscous stresses arising from a flow thereof are at every individual point of the fluid considered to be linearly correlated to a local strain rate, which relates to the rate of change of its deformation over time. Stresses are proportional to the rate of change of the fluid's velocity vector. Newtonian fluids therefore can be characterized by a single coefficient of viscosity; as the viscosity may also depend on temperature, this coefficient is for a given temperature. A class of fluids of which the viscosity changes with the strain rate or strain history is referred to as non-Newto- nian fluids.
Rheology characterization, or rheometry, can be used for non-Newtonian fluids. It is noted that rheological characteristics of such fluids may change, such as the viscosity of a fluid that may be reduced by mechanical agitation; such materials are shear-thinning materi- als, where an increase in relative flow velocity will cause a reduction in viscosity. Theoretical aspects of rheometry relate to a relation of flow/deformation behaviour of material and its in- ternal structure, and the flow/deformation behaviour of materials that cannot be described by classical fluid mechanics or elasticity.
Formulated products that appear in daily life, such as detergents, shampoos, foods, and drinks, are often extremely complex multicomponent, structured, and multiphase materials, such as wherein a range of chemical compounds are blended, to obtain the desired texture and performance. Because of the complexity of formulated products, predicting the performance of the final product in application-relevant conditions from the current theoretical framework of physical chemistry is very difficult or impossible. Experimental determination and charac-
terization is thus often necessary. The bottleneck, however, is a lack of any existing instru- ments available in the R&D phase to correctly replicate the realistic flow conditions during processing or use by the consumer. Currently, none of the instruments on the market can measure extensional properties at high-frequency flow conditions.
The present invention relates to a rheological apparatus, and further aspects thereof, which overcomes one or more of the above disadvantages, without jeopardizing functionality and advantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in a first aspect to an apparatus 10, in particular for the characterization of at least one rheological property, in particular an acoustic bubble rheome- ter for extensional rheology measurement, comprising at least one microbubble generator 20 configured to provide at least one microbubble to a sample holder 30, the at least one mi- crobubble with a diameter of 1-500 um, in particular 10-400 um, more in particular 80-300 um, the at least one microbubble comprising 50-100 vol% gas, in particular 90-99.99 vol % gas, more in particular 98-99.9 vol.% gas, even more in particular 99-99.5 vol.% gas, in par- ticular wherein the at least one microbubble generator 20 is configured to provide the at least one microbubble with an internal over-pressure of 10>-10° Pa, more in particular with an over- pressure of 10°-10* Pa, in particular wherein the microbubble generator 20 comprises at least one microbubble injector in fluidic connection with the microbubble generator 20 and with the at least one acoustic sample holder 30 for receiving a sample of a to be measured material and to receive at least one microbubble from the microbubble generator, in particular wherein the to be measured material 1s an opaque material, in particular wherein the at least one acous- tic sample holder 30 is configured to contact the sample, at least one acoustic wave generator 90 configured to provide at least one acoustic wave to the at least one microbubble for physi- cally interacting with said at least one microbubble, such as oscillating said at least one mi- crobubble, in particular at least one acoustic wave generator in physical contact with the at least one acoustic sample holder or configured to be incorporated in the sample holder, and at least one sensor 40 configured for acoustic wave detection of at least one acoustic wave pro- vided by the at least one microbubble. The microbubble may be used to characterize at least one rheological property. Thereto the microbubble has a particular size. The microbubble may be considered as a void in the material to be analysed. It may be provided as a bubble, and therefore comprising a gas, typically air or an inert gas, such as nitrogen, a noble gas, and mixtures thereof, or it may be formed in the material to be analyzed; the material to be ana- lyzed typically partly evaporates in the void, providing a vapor therein; the microbubble typi- cally does not comprise a solid material, whereas it may comprise another fluid, such as a liq- uid, but typically not. The microbubble has a certain internal over-pressure as described above. A suitable acoustic pressure range, provided by the present acoustic wave generator, for exciting bubbles without distorting their sphericity and introducing non-linear effects typi- cally depends on bubble size and testing material rheology. If the acoustic pressure is too small, then the resultant signal will be too small to be detectable. If the acoustic pressure is too large, the acoustic pressure wave will essentially destroy the bubble and the testing mate- rials. Inventors therefore recommend an external acoustic pressure range of 10-105 Pa, partic- ularly 10%-10* Pa for the most uses. The at least one microbubble generator may be an injector such as, a needle with a syringe, or may be a laser configured to form a microbubble in the material to be measured. At present the apparatus is in particular suited for measuring opaque materials, wherein an opacity is typically in a visible wavelength range of 300-800 nm, with 0%-70% transmittance, in particular 0.1-50%, for the given sample holder, i.e. width thereof.
The at least one acoustic sample holder 30 is in particular configured to contact the sample, that is being in direct contact therewith. In an embodiment the at least one acoustic wave gen- erator is in physical contact with the at least one acoustic sample holder, and in another em- bodiment is configured to be incorporated in the sample holder. The at least one acoustic wave provided by the at least one microbubble typically relates to an emitted [acoustic] wave.
The emitted wave may be considered as a scattered wave. Scattering is a term used in physics to describe a wide range of physical processes where moving particles or radiation of some form, such as sound, are forced to deviate from a straight trajectory by localized non-uniform- ities in the medium of the present material to be analyzed, through which they pass. In con- ventional use, this also includes deviation of reflected radiation from the angle predicted by the law of reflection. The types of non-uniformities which can cause scattering, sometimes known as scatterers or scattering centers, includes bubbles, and density fluctuations in fluids.
The effects of such features on the path of almost any type of propagating wave or moving particle can be described in the framework of scattering theory. The present apparatus, in par- ticular the acoustic bubble rheometer, is a state-of-the-art device capable of acquiring a prod- uct’s extensional rheology, in response to the increasing measurement demands found in many production processes involving fast fluid dynamics, such as spraying, fiber spinning, and ink-jet printing. Compared to an existing extensional rheometer, the present acoustic bub- ble rheometer features a high frequency oscillatory deformation, based on monitoring the dy- namics of acoustic-driven microbubbles, enabling measurement in extensional rheological properties, in particular viscoelasticity, in the conditions that are relevant to production and use of formulated products. The acoustic bubble rheometer presented here provides a possible solution in response to the bottleneck of formulated product development. The present appa- ratus, such as the acoustic bubble rheometer, however, is able to acquire products’ extensional rheological properties at high frequency, meeting the realistic flow conditions of many pro- duction processes (pipe constrictions, spraying, fiber spinning, ink-jet printing) and end us- ages by customers. The present apparatus, e.g. the acoustic bubble rheometer, measures e.g. the viscoelasticity in a higher frequency range of 1-10% kHz, corresponding to the typical fre- quency range of ultrasound. The method at the basis of the acoustic bubble rheometer consists in injecting a microscopic gas bubble in a sample, and recording the radius oscillation upon ultrasound forcing. As the measurement can be done within seconds, the device has the ability to measure changes in rheological properties over time. Additionally, the variation of the acoustic bubble rheometer can measure multiple samples simultaneously, such as for high- throughput screening processes. The device is small, portable, and cost-effective, making it suitable for at-line or in-line processes or on-line processes, in particular wherein the appa- ratus is place inside a production or process environment, or parallel line therein, such as in a sterile environment. The technique is based on the ultrasonic detection of a single oscillating bubble. Therefore, ensuring the existence of a single bubble at a fixed position without dis- placement induced by buoyancy is important for a successful rheological measurement.
Thereto an automation is developed for reducing the measurement time down to less than a second. The variation of the acoustic bubble rheometer can measure multiple samples simultaneously for high-throughput screening processes. The device is designed to be small, portable, and cost-effective, making it suitable for at-line or in-line processes. The device has great potential to work as a sensor for measuring the in-line rheological prop- erties to control the quality of the products. To provide detectable signals and avoid de- struction of testing materials, it is preferred to operate in a pressure range of the at least one microbubble of 10-10° Pa. In some example a suitable acoustic pressure range for exciting bubbles without distorting their sphericity and introducing non-linear effects may depend on bubble size and testing material rheology. If the acoustic pressure is too small, then the signal will be too small to be detectable. If the acoustic pressure is too large, the pressure wave will essentially destroy the bubble and the testing materials.
In a second aspect the present invention relates to a method of measuring extensional rheology of a material, in particular a high throughput method, such as for an array compris- ing samples, in particular an n*m array, wherein n=[1, 32] and m= [1,32], comprising the providing apparatus according to the invention, providing at least one sample comprising a material to be measured, loading the at least one sample into the at least one acoustic sample holder, providing at least one microbubble to be in fluidic contact with the at least one sam- ple, providing an acoustic wave to the at least one microbubble therewith obtaining an acous- tic wave activated microbubble, sensing acoustic wave activated microbubble oscillation from the at least one microbubble in fluidic contact with the at least one sample, and processing the sensed oscillation and obtain at least one rheological characteristics of said material.
In a third aspect the present invention relates to a computer program for carrying out the method of the present invention, in particular wherein the computer program comprising in- structions for measuring at least one of a radius of the at least one microbubble, in particular the time-dependent radius of the at least one microbubble, of a density of the material to be measured, of a pressure of the at least one microbubble, of an interfacial tension of the at least one microbubble, of an ambient pressure of the to be measured material, of a stress of the to be measured material, in particular the radial stress of the to be measured material, of the at least one acoustic wave frequency, of the at least one acoustic wave amplitude, of a reference frequency, of a reference at least one microbubble radius, of a to be measured material poly- tropic exponent, of a to be measured material damping coefficient, for determining the at least one microbubble dynamics, in particular by varying the at least one microbubble radius at a fixed frequency, and/or in particular by varying the frequency at a fixed radius of the at least 5 one microbubble radius, and/or wherein the method comprises using at least two different ma- terials to be measured, wherein at least one of said two different materials is a reference mate- rial, and measuring at least one of a radius of the at least one microbubble, in particular the time-dependent radius of the at least one microbubble, of a pressure of the at least one mi- crobubble, and of an interfacial tension of the at least one microbubble.
Thereby the present invention provides a solution to one or more of the above men- tioned problems. Advantages of the present invention are detailed throughout the description.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in a first aspect to an apparatus.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present apparatus the at least one sensor (40) is configured for acoustic detection of a variation in rheological properties of the to be measured material over time, in particular ultrasound detection. Therewith the rheological properties can be determined rather accurately.
In an exemplary embodiment the present apparatus is configured to measure multi- ple samples simultaneously, in particular wherein the apparatus comprises an array of n*m sample holders, and an array of p*q sensors, or an arrangement of sample holders and accord- ing arrangement of sensors. Therewith a high throughput is achieved.
In an exemplary embodiment the present apparatus is portable, in particular wherein the apparatus has a volume of < 10 dm’, in particular a volume of <3 dm’, and/or a weight of < 10 kg, in particular <3 kg. As such the use of the present apparatus is simple and easy. It can also be used at different locations, e.g. where needed, without problem.
In an exemplary embodiment the present apparatus is configured to characterize a material selected from a viscoelastic material, in particular a viscoelastic material with a vis- coelasticity (ISO 6721-1:2019 or ISO 3104:2020) of 10-103 Pa, in particular 5*103-2*107 Pa, a material with a non-Newtonian viscosity, in particular wherein the non-Newtonian viscosity material is selected from a shear thickening material, from a shear thinning material, and from generalized Newtonian fluids, a material with a shear-rate-dependent viscosity, in particular wherein the material with a time-dependent viscosity is selected from rheopectic materials, and from thixotropic materials, A wide variety of materials, as well as a wide range of proper- ties can be characterized with the present apparatus. The present apparatus is in particular de- signed for characterizing viscoelasticity, particularly the relaxation modulus in a range of 10°- 10% Pa, with a specific range of 5*10°-2*107 Pa. Notably, viscosity is a component of viscoe- lasticity, and the present apparatus can measure viscosity with a well-characterized pressure field.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present apparatus the at least one sensor (40) is configured to operate at a detection frequency of 1-10% kHz, in particular 10-10° kHz. The se- lection of the operating frequency of the present apparatus is taken inversely proportional to the size of the microbubble, which typically ranges from 1 to 500 um. The corresponding fre- quency range is than 1-10* kHz, with a specific range of 10-10° kHz for optimal instrument precision.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present apparatus the at least one sensor (40) is configured to measure an acoustic wave propagation from a bubble oscillation.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present apparatus the at least one sensor (40) is physically connected to said sample holder.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present apparatus the acoustic wave generator is configured to provide an acoustic wave with a frequency of 10-10° kHz, in particular wherein the at least one acoustic wave generator is at least one transducer (90).
In an exemplary embodiment of the present apparatus the at least one acoustic wave generator (90) is configured to provide at least one acoustic wave to the at least one mi- crobubble for oscillation in the acoustic sample holder.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present apparatus the acoustic wave generator is configured to provide an acoustic wave with a power [or amplitude] of 10-100 W, in particu- lar 107%-10 W, such as 0.1-5 W.
In an exemplary embodiment the present apparatus comprises a waveform generator (50), in particular a programmable waveform generator, more in particular wherein the wave- form generator is configured to provide a driving frequency to the acoustic wave generator (90).
In an exemplary embodiment the present apparatus comprises a power amplifier (60) configured to amplify the waveform, wherein the waveform generator is configured to provide input to the apparatus, in particular to the at least one acoustic wave generator (90).
In an exemplary embodiment of the present apparatus the at least one sensor (40) is selected from hydrophones, and from pressure sensors.
In an exemplary embodiment the present apparatus comprises a differential pressure sensor, from piezoelectric sensors, from MEMS, from ceramic devices.
In an exemplary embodiment the present apparatus comprises a signal amplifier (70) configured for amplifying a sensor signal and optionally configured to provide said am- plified signal to an output device (80), such as a data storage device, a data logging device, a computer, and an oscilloscope.
In an exemplary embodiment the present apparatus comprises a controller, in partic- ular wherein the controller is configured to control in operational communication at least one of characterization of rheological properties, the microbubble generator (20), the acoustic wave generator (90), the microbubble sensor (40), the waveform generator (50), the power amplifier (60), the signal amplifier (70), and the output device (80).
In an exemplary embodiment the present apparatus comprises at least one data pro- cessor configured to analyze at least one rheological property of the at least one sample from the emitted acoustic waves detected by said acoustic sensor, in particular wherein the data processor is configured to process at least one of a radius of the at least one microbubble, in particular the time-dependent radius of the at least one microbubble, of a density of the mate- rial to be measured, of a pressure of the at least one microbubble, of an interfacial tension of the at least one microbubble, of a pressure of the to be measured material, of a stress of the to be measured material, in particular the radial stress of the to be measured material, of the at least one acoustic wave frequency, of the at least one acoustic wave amplitude, of a reference frequency, of a reference at least one microbubble radius, typically taken in equilibrium con- ditions, of a to be measured material polytropic exponent, and of a to be measured material damping coefficient.
In the present method of extracting rheological properties from the acoustic signal emitted by an ultrasound-excited microbubble an acoustic scattering theory and the Rayleigh-
Plesset equation may be used. According to acoustic scattering theory, the pressure wave emitted by an oscillating microbubble can be represented as follows:
P= 2 C00) rot
Here, the microbubble's time-dependent radius, R(t), describes its dynamics, r is the radial distance in spherical coordinate system, while p denotes the density of the surrounding mate- rial. The relationship between the bubble dynamic and the viscoelastic properties can be de- scribed by Rayleigh-Plesset equation,
P(RR + jj) =p... (R)- Pa > 20 IE 2 5 R REF , where Peas is the gas pressure inside the bubble, p is the pressure far from the bubble, o is the interfacial tension, and Tr is the radial component of stress in the surround material. Once the emitted pressure is detected by the sensor, the bubble dynamics in terms of R(t) can be calcu- lated according the acoustic scattering theory. Then, rheological properties can be computed using the generalized Rayleigh-Plesset equation once R(t) is obtained. In particular, viscoelas- tic properties such as the relaxation modulus G can be obtained by solving the Rayleigh-Ples- set equation under the assumption of Kelvin-Voigt model. The analytical solution provide the link between rheological properties and bubble dynamics as follows, zp, +20 Br —1)+ 4G 0: = kK pk,
Xo (©) = Pe (0, 0) +4p0 where wo 1s the natural frequency, © is the applied frequency, Ro is the bubble radius at equi- librium, k the polytropic exponent, and B is the damping coefficient. As long as the resonance behavior of the bubble dynamic can be measured, the key rheological property G can be ex- tracted. There are three operation modes available on our device to examine the resonance be- havior of the bubble dynamics:
Frequency sweep to measure rheological property
In frequency sweep mode, bubble dynamics will be scanned across a range of acoustic frequencies which cover the resonance frequency of the microbubble. Prior calibration e.g. us- ing a hydrophone is essential to ensure a constant acoustic pressure during frequency sweep.
Specifically, the degree of power amplification can be adjusted to compensate for the fre- quency-dependent response of the transducer. It is worth noting that the frequency sweep can be rapidly performed in few seconds, essentially operating at a fixed bubble radius without be affected by bubble dissolution. Once the frequency sweep profile is obtained, the results can be again fit to Equations (1) and (2) to extract rheological property.
Radius sweep to measure very precise rheological property
In radius sweep mode, a single microbubble is placed in the pretreated sample to trig- ger the bubble expansion or dissolution. The sample can be pretreated to be either undersatu- rated or supersaturated with gas such as by regulating the temperature before conducting any measurements. Laplace pressure often facilitates bubble dissolution, particularly in the ab- sence of temperature control. To perform radius sweeps, a fixed-frequency acoustic signal is directed to the acoustic sample holder during the microbubble's shrinkage. The sampling time interval of the acoustic signals is determined by the dissolution rate of the bubble. By varying the bubble's equilibrium radius at a fixed frequency, the bubble dynamics can be measured, and the results can be fit using Equations (1) and (2) to extract very precise rheological prop- erty. The entire operating time of the radius mode highly depends on the rate of microbubble dissolution/expansion, typically within 10 to 200 mins.
Acoustic fingerprinting method
The ultrasound-driven microbubble emits unique acoustic features when immersed in different rheological medium. These unique features can be used as acoustic fingerprinting when a suitable reference sample is well characterized, and then a high-throughput screening process can be implemented to compare multiple samples with the reference sample. The technique has significant potential for various industries, such as food and cosmetics, where product reformulation can be expedited without compromising the target rheological proper- ties.
To implement acoustic fingerprinting, the acoustic signal of the microbubble in the reference sample needs to be well-characterized. Specifically, the characterization may in- volve performing a frequency sweep and analyzing the dataset to extract a set of acoustic fea- tures.. These features can be analyzed, such as in either Fourier domain or time domain, and then indexed, and stored in a database along with their corresponding metadata.
When multiple samples are measured, their acoustic features are extracted and quan- tized, e.g. using the same techniques as the reference sample. The quantized features can then compared to those stored in the database, using algorithms, such as nearest-neighbor search.
The similarity between the measured and the stored acoustic fingerprints can then be quanti- fied to find the optimal sample with rheological properties closest to the reference.
In an exemplary embodiment the present method comprises determining the at least one microbubble dynamics, in particular by varying the at least one microbubble radius at a fixed frequency, also referred to as radius sweep.
In an exemplary embodiment the present method comprises determining the at least one microbubble dynamics by varying the frequency at a fixed radius of the at least one microbubble radius, also referred to as frequency sweep.
In an exemplary embodiment the present method comprises determining the at least one microbubble dynamics comprises using at least two different materials to be meas- ured, wherein at least one of said two different materials is a reference material, and measur- ing at least one of a radius of the at least one microbubble, in particular the time-dependent radius of the at least one microbubble, of a pressure of the at least one microbubble, and of an interfacial tension of the at least one microbubble.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present method one microbubble is provided to the at least one sample.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present method the acoustic wave generator provides acoustic waves to the at least one microbubble during a time period of 0.1-10 sec, in particular during a time period of 0.2-1 sec.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present method the acoustic wave sensor de- tects propagated acoustic waves of the at least one microbubble during a time period of 0.1-10 sec, in particular during a time period of 0.2-1 sec.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present method a measurement is repeated 1- 10 times.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present method the size of the at least one mi- crobubble is measured, and wherein based on the size of the at least one microbubble, and at least one of the amplitude of the generated acoustic wave, the frequency of the generated acoustic wave, the phase of the generated acoustic wave, the amplitude of the propagating acoustic wave, the frequency of the propagating acoustic wave, and the phase of the propagat- ing acoustic wave, the at least one rheological property is characterized, in particular wherein the at least one rheological property is selected from an extensional rheological property,
more in particular wherein the at least one rheological property is selected from viscoelastic- ity, in particular the relaxation modulus, more in particular in a range of 10°-10% Pa, e.g. 5*103-2*107 Pa, from an increase of viscosity, from a decrease of viscosity, from a texture of the sample, from a phase or multiphase of a sample, and from a homogeneity of a sample
The invention is further detailed by the accompanying figures and examples, which are exemplary and explanatory of nature and are not limiting the scope of the in- vention. To the person skilled in the art it may be clear that many variants, being obvi- ous or not, may be conceivable falling within the scope of protection, defined by the present claims.
EXAMPLES/EXPERIMENTS
The invention although described in detailed explanatory context may be best un- derstood in conjunction with the accompanying examples.
Various samples are tested. In particular an agarose gel, which is considered to be a ref- erence material, a multiphase system, such as a shampoo, a detergent, and hand-sanitizer, are tested. For instance, hand sanitizer is chosen here for its transparency, which allows for the measurement of bubble size through a microscope calibration. Once calibration is done, the same setup can be applied for opaque materials with similar rheological properties
Before use, incidentally, the sample holder is tested in view of performance, such as in view of leakage. Typically this was not an issue. 1-10 gr of the material is taken and put into the sample holder.
A bubble, typically one, was provided to the sample. Care is taken to provide the bubble to the centre of the sample as much as possible, and for reproducibility.
The present microbubble sensor 40, in particular a hydrophone, is placed carefully at a height substantially in the middle of the sample (c.q. sample holder), and with a sensor 40 axis at an substantially perpendicular (90°) orientation with respect to the propagating axis of the incident acoustic wave provided by the acoustic wave generator (90).
Then at least one measurement is carried out, providing an acoustic bubble to the sample with the bubble generator of a suitable size, typically 200 um in diameter. The size of the bubble can be checked, e.g. with a microscope, if transparent material is present for calibration in order to provide reproducible results. If the bubble sizes did not vary that fast over time, frequency sweep can be applied for the measurement. Otherwise, radius sweep can be applied . An acoustic wave, provided by the acoustic wave generator, with a suitable frequency, e.g. of 26 kHz, and a suitable power, e.g. ~1W, is used. The detec- tion frequency demonstrated here is within the range of 10-40 kHz. The measurement can be provided in a radius sweep mode, in a frequency sweep mode, or both, to activate the bubble dynamics. The resultant emitted pressure waves from an microbubble are rec- orded by hydrophone. In this example as shown in Fig. 4, the hand sanitizer is measured using radius sweep mode, and optical measurement is utilized to demonstrate the precise calibration of the device.
Received signals are processed, using the above model and further parameters in so far as needed. Data analysis, e.g. using Eq. (1)-(4) is performed in order to compute the rheological properties of the testing media. Typical results give a viscoelasticity varying between 1*¥10°-2*107 Pa, depending on the material. For example, by fitting the dataset obtained from the radius sweep mode to Eq. (3)-(4), we obtain the shear modu- lus of 3.8 + 0.8 kPa for hand sanitizer as illustrated in Fig. 4.
SUMMARY OF THE FIGURES
Figs. 1, 2a-b, 3, 4a-e show details of the present apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
In the figures: 10 apparatus 20 microbubble generator 21 bubble 30 acoustic sample holder 31 sample 40 microbubble sensor 50 waveform generator 51 delay generator 60 power amplifier 70 signal amplifier 80 output device 81 camera 82 microscope objective 90 acoustic (sound) wave generator
Fig. 1 shows that the present rheometer is well suited for measurements in the ~ 1-10* kHz operational region, for measurements detection in the ~ 10-107 Pa detection region. For prior art systems, such as a rotational rheometer, a piezo rheometer, and a Diffusion Wave
Spectrometer (DWS), operational frequencies are typically much lower as well as detection regions. Such makes the present rheometer especially suited for determining parameters of polymers, of polymer solutions, gels, inks, formulated products, such as detergents, sham- poos, foods, and drinks, complex multicomponent products, structured products, multiphase materials, such as wherein a range of chemical compounds are blended, to obtain the desired texture and performance, amongst others.
Fig. 2a shows a schematic layout of the present apparatus. Therein an acoustic sample holder 30 is shown, for receiving a sample comprising a to be measured material, and for re- ceiving a bubble generated by the acoustic wave generator 90. A waveform generator pro- vides input to a power amplifier, if required, and the possibly amplified wave is provided to the acoustic sound wave generator. A microbubble sensor 40, such as a hydrophone, is pro- vided for acoustic wave detection. Optionally a signal amplifier 70 is used to amplify the sig- nal of microbubble sensor 40, which (amplified) signal is provided to an output device, such as a monitor, a smartphone, a computer, etc.
Fig. 2b show two experimental set-up options. In the top one a single in-line sensor is shown, e.g. for process control. In the bottom one an array is shown for measuring, e.g. in high-throughput screening.
Fig. 3 shows a measurement process flow layout. A visualization method (shown in figs. 4a-e) is used as time dependent input radius parameters (R(t), used for the rheological measurement. The present apparatus design involves an all-acoustic method, as described and claimed throughout the description, with an optional customized design for specific pur- poses/samples to be tested. For better results typically obtained and provided signals are opti- mized, e.g. in terms of frequency (range), amplitude, etc. The present bubble generator is part of the present apparatus. In order to process signals the present method is developed. Thereto, as represented in the lower right corner, the present acoustic rheometer is provided, represent- ing fig. 2a.
Figs. 4a-e show details of an exemplary visualisation method. In fig. 4a basically the present apparatus, as also shown in e.g. fig. 2a is given. A waveform generator 90 gives input to a signal amplifier 60, and optionally to a delay generator 51. The power amplifier provides asignal to the bubble generator 20, which in an example is a transducer. A bubble 21 is gen- erated in sample 31. The behaviour of the sample and bubble can be observed with a high speed camera 81 and/or a microscope through objective 82. Fig. 4b shows schematically a (time/location) series bubble, of which radius variations R(t) over time t between Rmax and
Rin, of which a frequency spectrum with x=AR/Ro for a given o is shown, and in fig. 4e the relation between © and R is shown.
For the purpose of searching the following section is added, which may be considered embodiments of the present invention, and of which the subsequent section represents a trans- lation into Dutch. 1. An apparatus (10), in particular for the characterization of at least one rheological property, in particular an acoustic bubble rheometer for extensional rheology measurement, comprising at least one microbubble generator (20) configured to provide at least one microbubble to a sample holder (30), the at least one microbubble with a diameter of 1-500 um, in particular 10-400
Lm, more in particular 80-300 um, the at least one microbubble comprising 50-100 vol% gas, in particular 90-99.99 vol.% gas, more in particular 98-99 9 vol .% gas, even more in particular 99-99.5 vol. % gas, in particular wherein the at least one microbubble generator (20) 1s configured to provide the at least one microbubble with an over-pressure of 10-105 Pa, more in particular with an over-pressure of 102-10* Pa,
in particular wherein the microbubble generator (20) comprises at least one mi- crobubble injector in fluidic connection with the microbubble generator (20) and with the at least one (acoustic) sample holder (30) for receiving a sample of a to be measured material and to receive at least one microbubble from the microbubble generator, in particular wherein the to be measured material is an opaque material, in particular wherein the at least one acoustic sample holder (30) is configured to contact the sample, at least one acoustic wave generator (90) configured to provide at least one acoustic wave to the at least one microbubble for physically interacting with said at least one mi- crobubble, such as oscillating said at least one microbubble, in particular at least one acoustic wave generator in physical contact with he at least one acoustic sample holder or configured to be incorporated in the sample holder, and at least one sensor (40) configured for acoustic wave detection of at least one acoustic wave provided by the at least one microbubble.
2. The apparatus (10) according to embodiment 1, wherein the at least one sensor (40) is con- figured for acoustic detection of a variation in rheological properties of the to be measured material over time, in particular ultrasound detection.
3. The apparatus (10) according to any of embodiments 1-2, wherein the apparatus is config- ured to measure multiple samples simultaneously, in particular wherein the apparatus com-
prises an array of n*m sample holders, and an array of p*q sensors, or an arrangement of sam- ple holders and according arrangement of sensors.
4. The apparatus (10) according to any of embodiments 1-3, wherein the apparatus is portable, in particular wherein the apparatus has a volume of < 10 dm’, in particular a volume of < 3 dm’, and/or a weight of < 10 kg, in particular < 3 kg.
5. The apparatus (10) according to any of embodiments 1-4, wherein the apparatus is config- ured to characterize a material selected from a viscoelastic material, in particular a viscoelas- tic material with a viscoelasticity (ISO 6721-1:2019 or ISO 3104:2020) of 10°-108 Pa, in par- ticular 5*103-2*107 Pa, a material with a non-Newtonian viscosity, in particular wherein the non-Newtonian viscosity material is selected from a shear thickening material, from a shear thinning material, and from generalized Newtonian fluids, a material with a shear-rate-de- pendent viscosity, in particular wherein the material with a time-dependent viscosity is se- lected from rheopectic materials, and from thixotropic materials,
6. The apparatus (10) according to any of embodiments 1-5, wherein the at least one sensor (40) is configured to operate at a detection frequency of 1-10* kHz, in particular 10-10° kHz,
and/or wherein the at least one sensor (40) is configured to measure an acoustic wave propagation from a bubble oscillation, and/or wherein the at least one sensor (40) is physically connected to said sample holder (30).
7. The apparatus (10) according to any of embodiments 1-6, wherein the acoustic wave gener- ator is configured to provide an acoustic wave with a frequency of 1-10% kHz, in particular 10- 10° kHz, in particular wherein the at least one wave generator is at least one transducer (90), and/or wherein the at least one acoustic wave generator (90) is configured to provide at least one acoustic wave to excite the at least one microbubble for oscillation in the sample holder (30), and/or wherein the acoustic wave generator is configured to provide an acoustic wave with a power of 105-1 W.
8 The apparatus (10) according to any of embodiments 1-7, comprising a waveform generator (50), in particular a programmable waveform generator, more in particular wherein the wave- form generator 1s configured to provide a driving frequency to the acoustic wave generator (90), and optionally a power amplifier (60) configured to amplify the waveform, wherein the waveform generator is configured to provide input to the apparatus, in particular to the at least one acoustic wave generator (90).
9. The apparatus (10) according to any of embodiments 1-8, wherein the at least one sensor (40) is selected from hydrophones, from pressure sensor, in particular a differential pressure sensor, from piezoelectric sensors, from MEMS, from ceramic devices, in particular wherein the apparatus comprises a signal amplifier (70) configured for amplifying a sensor signal and optionally configured to provide said amplified signal to an output device (80), such as a data storage device, a data logging device, a computer, and an oscilloscope.
10. The apparatus (10) according to any of embodiments 1-9, comprising a controller, in par- ticular wherein the controller is configured to control in operational communication at least one of characterization of rheological properties, the microbubble generator (20), the acoustic wave generator (90), the microbubble sensor (40), the waveform generator (50), the power amplifier (60), the signal amplifier (70), and the output device (80).
11. The apparatus (10) according to any of embodiments 1-10, comprising at least one data processor configured to analyze at least one rheological property of the at least one sample from the emitted acoustic waves detected by said acoustic sensor, in particular wherein the data processor is configured to process at least one of a radius of the at least one microbubble, in particular the time-dependent radius of the at least one microbubble, of a density of the ma- terial to be measured, of the excited acoustic pressure of the at least one microbubble, of an interfacial tension of the at least one microbubble, of the ambient pressure of the to-be-meas- ured material, of a stress of the material to be measured, in particular the radial stress of the to-be-measured material, of the at least one acoustic wave frequency, of the at least one acoustic wave amplitude, of a reference frequency, of a reference at least one microbubble ra- dius, of a to-be-measured material polytropic exponent, and of a to-be-measured material damping coefficient.
12. A method of measuring extensional rheology of a material, in particular a high throughput method, comprising providing the apparatus according to any of embodiments 1-11, providing at least one sample comprising a material to be measured, loading the at least one sample into the at least one acoustic sample holder, providing at least one microbubble to be in fluidic contact with the at least one sample, providing an acoustic wave to the at least one microbubble therewith obtaining an acoustic wave activated microbubble, sensing acoustic wave activated microbubble oscillation from the at least one microbub- ble to in fluidic contact with the at least one sample, and processing the sensed oscillation and obtain at least one extensional rheological charac- teristics of said material. 13. The method of measuring extensional rheology of a material according to embodiment 12, wherein the method comprises determining the at least one microbubble dynamics, in particular by varying the at least one microbubble radius at a fixed frequency, and/or in partic- ular by varying the frequency at a fixed radius of the at least one microbubble radius, and/or wherein the method comprises using at least two different materials to be measured, wherein at least one of said two different materials is a reference material, and measuring at least one of a radius of the at least one microbubble, in particular the time-dependent radius of the at least one microbubble, of an acoustic pressure of the at least one microbubble, and of an interfacial tension of the at least one microbubble. 14. The method of measuring extensional rheology of a material according to any of embodi- ments 12-13, wherein one microbubble is provided to the at least one sample, and/or wherein the acoustic wave generator provides acoustic waves to the at least one microbubble during a time period of 0. 1-10 sec, in particular during a time period of 0.2-1 sec, and/or wherein the acoustic wave sensor detects propagated acoustic waves of the at least one mi- crobubble during a time period of 0.1-10 sec, in particular during a time period of 0.2-1 sec, and/or wherein a measurement is repeated 1-10 times. 15. The method of measuring extensional rheology of a material according to any of embodi- ments 12-14, wherein the size of the at least one microbubble is measured, and wherein based on the size of the at least one microbubble, and at least one of the amplitude of the generated acoustic wave, the frequency of the generated acoustic wave, the phase of the generated acoustic wave, the amplitude of the propagating acoustic wave, the frequency of the propagating acoustic wave, and the phase of the propagating acoustic wave, the at least one rheological property is characterized, in particular wherein the at least one rheological property is selected from an extensional rheological property, more in particular wherein the at least one rheologi- cal property is selected from viscoelasticity, in particular the relaxation modulus, more in particular in a range of 10-10% Pa, e.g. 5*10°-2*107 Pa, from an increase of viscos- ity, from a decrease of viscosity, from a texture of the sample, from a phase or multi- phase of a sample, and from a homogeneity of a sample. 16. A computer program for carrying out the method of any of embodiments 12-15, in partic- ular wherein the computer program comprising instructions for measuring at least one of a radius of the at least one microbubble, in particular the time-dependent radius of the at least one microbubble, of a density of the material to be meas-
ured, of a pressure of the at least one microbubble, of an interfacial tension of the at least one microbubble, of a pressure of the to be measured material, of a stress of the to be measured material, in particular the radial stress of the to be measured material, of the at least one acoustic wave frequency, of the at least one acoustic wave amplitude, of a reference fre- quency, of a reference at least one microbubble radius, of a to be measured material poly-
tropic exponent, of a to be measured material damping coefficient, for determining the at least one microbubble dynamics, in particular by varying the at least one microbubble radius at a fixed frequency, and/or in particular by varying the frequency at a fixed radius of the at least one microbubble radius, and/or wherein the method comprises using at least two different materials to be measured,
wherein at least one of said two different materials is a reference material, and measuring at least one of a radius of the at least one microbubble, in particular the time-dependent radius of the at least one microbubble, of a pressure of the at least one microbubble, and of an interfa- cial tension of the at least one microbubble.

Claims (16)

ConclusiesConclusions 1. Een apparaat (10), in het bijzonder voor het karakteriseren van ten minste één reolo- gische eigenschap, in het bijzonder een akoestische bellenreometer voor het meten van ex- tensieve reologie, omvattend ten minste één microbelgenerator (20) geconfigureerd om ten minste één microbel aan een monsterhouder (30) te leveren, waarbij de minstens één microbel een diameter van 1-500 um heeft, in het bij- zonder 10-400 um, meer in het bijzonder 80-300 um, waarbij de ten minste één microbel 50-100 vol% gas omvat, in het bijzonder 90-99,99 vol.% gas, meer in het bijzonder 98-99,9 vol.% gas, meer in het bijzonder 99- 99,5 vol.% gas, in het bijzonder waarbij de ten minste één microbelgenerator (20) geconfigu- reerd is om de ten minste één microbel te leveren met een overdruk van 10-105 Pa, meer in het bijzonder met een overdruk van 107-10% Pa, in het bijzonder waarbij de microbubbelgenerator (20) ten minste één micro- bubbelinjector omvat die in vloetbare verbinding staat met de microbubbelgenerator (20) en met de ten minste één (akoestische) monsterhouder (30) voor het ontvangen van een monster van een te meten materiaal en het ontvangen van ten minste één microbel uit de microbel- lengenerator, in het bijzonder waarbij het te meten materiaal een ondoorzichtig materiaal is, in het bijzonder waarbij de ten minste één akoestische monsterhouder (30) ge- configureerd is om contact te maken met het monster, ten minste één generator van akoestische golven (90), geconfigureerd om ten minste één akoestische golf te leveren aan de ten minste één microbubbel voor fysieke interactie met de genoemde ten minste één microbubbel, zoals oscillatie van de genoemde ten min- ste één microbubbel, in het bijzonder ten minste één akoestische golfgenerator die fysiek in contact staat met de ten minste één akoestische monsterhouder of die in de monsterhouder kan worden ingebouwd, en ten minste één sensor (40) geconfigureerd voor detectie van ten minste één akoesti- sche golf afkomstig van de ten minste één microbel.1. A device (10), in particular for characterizing at least one rheological property, in particular an acoustic bubble rheometer for measuring extensive rheology, comprising at least one microbubble generator (20) configured to supply at least one microbubble to a sample holder (30), the at least one microbubble having a diameter of 1-500 um, in particular 10-400 um, more in particular 80-300 um, the at least one microbubble comprising 50-100 vol.% gas, in particular 90-99.99 vol.% gas, more in particular 98-99.9 vol.% gas, more in particular 99-99.5 vol.% gas, in particular the at least one microbubble generator (20) being configured to supply the at least one microbubble with an overpressure of 10-105 Pa, more in particular with an overpressure of 107-10% Pa, in particular wherein the microbubble generator (20) comprises at least one microbubble injector in fluid communication with the microbubble generator (20) and with the at least one (acoustic) sample holder (30) for receiving a sample of a material to be measured and receiving at least one microbubble from the microbubble generator, in particular wherein the material to be measured is an opaque material, in particular wherein the at least one acoustic sample holder (30) is configured to contact the sample, at least one acoustic wave generator (90) configured to provide at least one acoustic wave to the at least one microbubble for physical interaction with said at least one microbubble, such as oscillation of said at least one microbubble, in particular at least one acoustic wave generator physically in contact with the at least one acoustic sample holder or capable of being inserted into the sample holder built-in, and at least one sensor (40) configured to detect at least one acoustic wave originating from the at least one microbubble. 2. Het apparaat (10) volgens conclusie 1, waarin de ten minste één sensor (40) is geconfi- gureerd voor akoestische detectie van een variatie in reologische eigenschappen van het te meten materiaal in de tijd, in het bijzonder ultrasone detectie.2. The apparatus (10) of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor (40) is configured for acoustic detection of a variation in rheological properties of the material to be measured over time, in particular ultrasonic detection. 3. Het apparaat (10) volgens een van de conclusies 1-2, waarbij het apparaat geconfigu- reerd is om meerdere monsters tegelijkertijd te meten, in het bijzonder waarbij het appa-3. The apparatus (10) according to any of claims 1-2, wherein the apparatus is configured to measure multiple samples simultaneously, in particular wherein the apparatus raat een reeks van n*m monsterhouders en een reeks van p*q sensoren, of een reeks mon- sterhouders en een overeenkomstige reeks sensoren omvat.comprises an array of n*m sample holders and an array of p*q sensors, or an array of sample holders and a corresponding array of sensors. 4. Het apparaat (10) volgens een van de conclusies 1-3, waarbij het apparaat draagbaar is, in het bijzonder waarbij het apparaat een volume heeft van < 10 dm’, in het bijzonder een volume van <3 dm’, en/of een gewicht van < 10 kg, in het bijzonder <3 kg.4. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the device is portable, in particular wherein the device has a volume of < 10 dm’, in particular a volume of < 3 dm’, and/or a weight of < 10 kg, in particular < 3 kg. 5. Het apparaat (10) volgens een van de conclusies 1-4, waarbij het apparaat geconfigu- reerd is om een materiaal te karakteriseren, geselecteerd uit een visco-elastisch materiaal, in het bijzonder een visco-elastisch materiaal met een visco-elasticiteit (ISO 6721-1:2019 of ISO 3104: 2020) van 10°-10% Pa, in het bijzonder 5*10°-2*107 Pa, een materiaal met een niet-Newtonse viscositeit, in het bijzonder waarin het niet-Newtonse viscositeitsmate- riaal is gekozen uit een afschuifverdikkend materiaal, uit een afschuifverdunnend materi- aal en uit gegeneraliseerde Newtonse vloeistoffen, een materiaal met een afschuifsnel- heidsafhankelijke viscositeit, in het bijzonder waarin het materiaal met een tijdsafhanke- lijke viscositeit is gekozen uit reopectische materialen en uit thixotrope materialen.5. The apparatus (10) according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the apparatus is configured to characterize a material selected from a viscoelastic material, in particular a viscoelastic material having a viscoelasticity (ISO 6721-1:2019 or ISO 3104:2020) of 10°-10% Pa, in particular 5*10°-2*107 Pa, a material having a non-Newtonian viscosity, in particular wherein the non-Newtonian viscosity material is selected from a shear-thickening material, from a shear-thinning material and from generalized Newtonian fluids, a material having a shear-rate-dependent viscosity, in particular wherein the material having a time-dependent viscosity is selected from rheopectic materials and from thixotropic materials. 6. Het apparaat (10) volgens een van de conclusies 1-5, waarin de ten minste één sensor (40) geconfigureerd is om te werken bij een detectiefrequentie van 1-10% kHz, in het bij- zonder 10-10° kHz, en/of waarbij de ten minste één sensor (40) geconfigureerd is om de voortplanting van een akoestische golf van een bellenoscillatie te meten, en/of waarin de ten minste één sensor (40) fysiek verbonden is met de genoemde monsterhouder (30).6. The apparatus (10) according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the at least one sensor (40) is configured to operate at a detection frequency of 1-10% kHz, in particular 10-10° kHz, and/or wherein the at least one sensor (40) is configured to measure the propagation of an acoustic wave of a bubble oscillation, and/or wherein the at least one sensor (40) is physically connected to said sample holder (30). 7. Het apparaat (10) volgens een van de conclusies 1-6, waarbij de akoestische golfgenera- tor is geconfigureerd om een akoestische golf te leveren met een frequentie van 1-10* kHz, in het bijzonder 10-103 kHz, in het bijzonder waarbij de ten minste één golfgenerator ten minste één transducer (90) is, en/of waarbij de ten minste één akoestische golfgenerator (90) is geconfigureerd om ten minste één akoestische golf te leveren om de ten minste één microbel te exciteren voor oscillatie in de monsterhouder (30), en/of waarin de generator van de akoestische golf geconfigureerd is om een akoestische golf met een vermogen van 10%-1 W te leveren.The apparatus (10) according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the acoustic wave generator is configured to provide an acoustic wave having a frequency of 1-10* kHz, in particular 10-103 kHz, in particular wherein the at least one wave generator is at least one transducer (90), and/or wherein the at least one acoustic wave generator (90) is configured to provide at least one acoustic wave to excite the at least one microbubble for oscillation in the sample holder (30), and/or wherein the acoustic wave generator is configured to provide an acoustic wave having a power of 10%-1 W. 8. Het apparaat (10) volgens een van de conclusies 1-7, omvattend een golfvormgenerator (50), in het bijzonder een programmeerbare golfvormgenerator, meer in het bijzonder waarbij de golfvormgenerator is geconfigureerd om een stuurfrequentie te leveren aan de akoestische golfgenerator (90), en optioneel een vermogensversterker (60) geconfigureerd om de golfvorm te versterken, waarbij de golfvormgenerator is geconfigureerd om input te leveren aan het apparaat, in het bijzonder aan de ten minste één akoestische golfgenerator (90).8. The apparatus (10) of any of claims 1 to 7, comprising a waveform generator (50), in particular a programmable waveform generator, more particularly wherein the waveform generator is configured to provide a drive frequency to the acoustic wave generator (90), and optionally a power amplifier (60) configured to amplify the waveform, wherein the waveform generator is configured to provide input to the apparatus, in particular to the at least one acoustic wave generator (90). 9. Het apparaat (10) volgens een van de conclusies 1-8, waarbij de ten minste één sensor9. The device (10) according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the at least one sensor (40) is gekozen uit hydrofoons, druksensoren, in het bijzonder verschildruksensoren, pi- ezo-elektrische sensoren, MEMS, keramische elementen, in het bijzonder waarbij het ap- paraat een signaalversterker (70) omvat die geconfigureerd 1s om een sensorsignaal te ver- sterken en optioneel geconfigureerd is om dit versterkte signaal te leveren aan een uitvoer- apparaat (80), zoals een apparaat voor gegevensopslag, een apparaat voor gegevensregi- stratie, een computer, en een oscilloscoop.(40) is selected from hydrophones, pressure sensors, in particular differential pressure sensors, piezoelectric sensors, MEMS, ceramic elements, in particular wherein the device comprises a signal amplifier (70) configured to amplify a sensor signal and optionally configured to provide this amplified signal to an output device (80), such as a data storage device, a data recording device, a computer, and an oscilloscope. 10. Het apparaat (10) volgens een van de conclusies 1-9, dat een besturingseenheid omvat, in het bijzonder wanneer de besturingseenheid geconfigureerd is om in operationele com- municatie ten minste een van de karakterisering van de reologische eigenschappen, de mi- crobelgenerator (20), de akoestische-golfgenerator (90), de microbelsensor (40), de golf- vormgenerator (50), de vermogensversterker (60), de signaalversterker (70), en het uit- voerapparaat (80), te besturen.The apparatus (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising a control unit, in particular when the control unit is configured to control in operational communication at least one of the rheological property characterization, the microbubble generator (20), the acoustic wave generator (90), the microbubble sensor (40), the waveform generator (50), the power amplifier (60), the signal amplifier (70), and the output device (80). 11. Het apparaat (10) volgens een van de conclusies 1-10, omvattend ten minste één gege- vensverwerker geconfigureerd voor het analyseren van ten minste één reologische eigen- schap van het ten minste één monster uit de uitgezonden akoestische golven gedetecteerd door de akoestische sensor, 1n het bijzonder wanneer de gegevensverwerker geconfigu- reerd is voor het verwerken van ten minste één van een straal van de ten minste één micro- bel, in het bijzonder de tijdsafhankelijke straal van de ten minste één microbel, van een dichtheid van het te meten materiaal, van de aangeslagen akoestische druk van de ten min- ste één microbel, een grensvlakspanning van de ten minste één microbel, de omgevings- druk van het te meten materiaal, een spanning van het te meten materiaal, 1n het bijzonder de radiale spanning van het te meten materiaal, de frequentie van ten minste één akoesti- sche golf, de amplitude van ten minste één akoestische golf, een referentiefrequentie, een referentieradius van ten minste één microbel, een polytropische exponent van het te meten materiaal, en een dempingscoéfficiént van het te meten materiaal.11. The apparatus (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising at least one data processor configured to analyze at least one rheological property of the at least one sample from the emitted acoustic waves detected by the acoustic sensor, in particular when the data processor is configured to process at least one of a radius of the at least one microbubble, in particular the time-dependent radius of the at least one microbubble, a density of the material to be measured, the excited acoustic pressure of the at least one microbubble, an interfacial tension of the at least one microbubble, the ambient pressure of the material to be measured, a stress of the material to be measured, in particular the radial stress of the material to be measured, the frequency of at least one acoustic wave, the amplitude of at least one acoustic wave, a reference frequency, a reference radius of at least one microbubble, a polytropic exponent of the material to be measured, measuring material, and a damping coefficient of the material to be measured. 12. Een werkwijze voor het meten van extensionele reologie van een materiaal, in het bij- zonder een methode met hoge verwerkingscapaciteit, omvattend het verschaffen van het apparaat volgens een van de conclusies 1-11, het verschaffen van ten minste één monster dat een te meten materiaal omvat, het plaatsen van ten minste één monster in de ten minste één akoestische monsterhou- der, het verschaffen van ten minste één microbel in vloeibaar contact met het ten minste één monster, het geven van een akoestische golf aan de ten minste één microbel waardoor een door een akoestische golf geactiveerde microbel wordt verkregen, het verschaffen van door akoestische golven geactiveerde microbubbeltrillingen van de ten minste één microbel die in contact komt met het ten minste één monster, en het verwerken van de waargenomen trilling en het verkrijgen van ten minste één ex- tensionele reologische karakteristieken van genoemd materiaal.12. A method for measuring extensional rheology of a material, in particular a high throughput method, comprising providing the apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, providing at least one sample comprising a material to be measured, placing at least one sample in the at least one acoustic sample holder, providing at least one microbubble in fluid contact with the at least one sample, imparting an acoustic wave to the at least one microbubble thereby obtaining an acoustic wave activated microbubble, imparting acoustic wave activated microbubble vibrations of the at least one microbubble in contact with the at least one sample, and processing the observed vibration and obtaining at least one extensional rheological characteristic of said material. 13. De werkwijze voor het meten van de reologie van de extensie van een materiaal vol- gens conclusie 12, waarbij de werkwijze omvat uit het bepalen van de dynamica van ten minste één microbel, in het bijzonder door het variëren van de straal van ten minste één microbel bij een vaste frequentie, en/of in het bijzonder door het variëren van de frequentie bij een vaste straal van de straal van ten minste één microbel, en/of waarbij de methode het gebruik van ten minste twee verschillende te meten materialen omvat, waarbij ten minste één van de twee verschillende materialen een referentiemateri- aal is, en het meten van ten minste één van een straal van de ten minste één microbel, in het bijzonder de tijdsafhankelijke straal van de ten minste één microbel, van een akoesti- sche druk van de ten minste één microbel en van een grensspanning van de ten minste één microbel.13. The method for measuring the rheology of the extension of a material according to claim 12, wherein the method comprises determining the dynamics of at least one microbubble, in particular by varying the radius of at least one microbubble at a fixed frequency, and/or in particular by varying the frequency at a fixed radius of the radius of at least one microbubble, and/or wherein the method comprises using at least two different materials to be measured, at least one of the two different materials being a reference material, and measuring at least one of a radius of the at least one microbubble, in particular the time-dependent radius of the at least one microbubble, of an acoustic pressure of the at least one microbubble and of a boundary voltage of the at least one microbubble. 14. De werkwijze voor het meten van de extensionele reologie van een materiaal volgens een van de conclusies 12-13, waarbij één microbel is verschaft aan het ten minste één monster, en/of waarbij de akoestische-golfgenerator akoestische golven verschaft aan de ten minste één microbel gedurende een periode van 0,1-10 sec, in het bijzonder gedurende een periode van 0,2-1 sec, en/of waarin de akoestische golfsensor de voortgeplante akoestische golven van de ten minste één microbel detecteert gedurende een periode van 0,1-10 sec, in het bijzonder gedurende een periode van 0,2-1 sec, en/of waarin een meting 1-10 keer wordt herhaald.The method for measuring the extensional rheology of a material according to any of claims 12-13, wherein one microbubble is provided to the at least one sample, and/or wherein the acoustic wave generator provides acoustic waves to the at least one microbubble for a period of 0.1-10 sec, in particular for a period of 0.2-1 sec, and/or wherein the acoustic wave sensor detects the propagated acoustic waves of the at least one microbubble for a period of 0.1-10 sec, in particular for a period of 0.2-1 sec, and/or wherein a measurement is repeated 1-10 times. 15. De werkwijze voor het meten van de extensieve reologie van een materiaal volgens een van de conclusies 12-14, waarbij de grootte van de ten minste één microbel wordt ge- meten, en waarin op basis van de grootte van de ten minste één microbel en ten minste één van de amplitude van de opgewekte akoestische golf, de frequentie van de opgewekte akoestische golf, de fase van de opgewekte akoestische golf, de amplitude van de voort- plantende akoestische golf, de frequentie van de voortplantende akoestische golf en de fase van de voortplantende akoestische golf, de ten minste één reologische eigenschap wordt gekarakteriseerd, in het bijzonder waarbij de minstens één reologische eigenschap geselecteerd is uit een ex- tensieve reologische eigenschap, meer 1n het bijzonder wanneer de minstens één reolo- gische eigenschap geselecteerd is uit visco-elasticiteit, in het bijzonder de relaxatiemodu- lus, meer in het bijzonder in een bereik van 103-108 Pa, bv. 5*10?-2*107 Pa, uit een toe- name van viscositeit, uit een afname van viscositeit, uit een textuur van het monster, uit een fase of meerfasen van een monster, en uit een homogeniteit van een monster.15. The method for measuring the extensive rheology of a material according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the size of the at least one microbubble is measured, and wherein on the basis of the size of the at least one microbubble and at least one of the amplitude of the generated acoustic wave, the frequency of the generated acoustic wave, the phase of the generated acoustic wave, the amplitude of the propagating acoustic wave, the frequency of the propagating acoustic wave and the phase of the propagating acoustic wave, the at least one rheological property is characterized, in particular wherein the at least one rheological property is selected from an extensive rheological property, more in particular when the at least one rheological property is selected from viscoelasticity, in particular the relaxation modulus, more in particular in a range of 103-108 Pa, e.g. 5*107-2*107 Pa, from an increase of viscosity, from a decrease in viscosity, from a texture of the sample, from a phase or multiphases of a sample, and from a homogeneity of a sample. 16. Een computerprogramma voor het uitvoeren van de werkwijze volgens een van de conclusies12-15, in het bijzonder waarbij het computerprogramma instructies omvat voor het meten van ten minste één van een straal van de ten minste één microbel, in het bijzon- der de tijdsafhankelijke straal van de ten minste één microbel, van een dichtheid van het te meten materiaal, van een druk van de ten minste één microbel, van een grensspanning van de ten minste één microbel, van een druk van het te meten materiaal, van een spanning van het te meten materiaal, in het bijzonder de radiale spanning van het te meten materi-16. A computer program for performing the method according to any of claims 12 to 15, in particular wherein the computer program comprises instructions for measuring at least one of a radius of the at least one microbubble, in particular the time-dependent radius of the at least one microbubble, of a density of the material to be measured, of a pressure of the at least one microbubble, of a limiting stress of the at least one microbubble, of a pressure of the material to be measured, of a stress of the material to be measured, in particular the radial stress of the material to be measured aal, van de frequentie van de ten minste één akoestische golf, van de ten minste één akoes- tische golfamplitude, van een referentiefrequentie, van een referentieradius van ten minste één microbel, van een te meten polytropische exponent van het materiaal, van een te me- ten dempingscoëfficiënt van het materiaal, voor de bepaling van de dynamica van ten minste één microbel, in het bijzonder door de ten minste één microbelradius bij een vaste frequentie te variëren, en/of in het bijzonder door de frequentie bij een vaste straal van de ten minste één microbelradius te variëren, en/of waarbij de werkwijze het gebruik omvat van ten minste twee verschillende te meten mate- rialen, waarbij ten minste één van de twee verschillende materialen een referentiemateri-eel, of the frequency of the at least one acoustic wave, of the at least one acoustic wave amplitude, of a reference frequency, of a reference radius of at least one microbubble, of a polytropic exponent of the material to be measured, of an attenuation coefficient of the material to be measured, for determining the dynamics of at least one microbubble, in particular by varying the at least one microbubble radius at a fixed frequency, and/or in particular by varying the frequency at a fixed radius of the at least one microbubble radius, and/or wherein the method comprises the use of at least two different materials to be measured, at least one of the two different materials being a reference material aal is, en het meten van ten minste één van een straal van de ten minste één microbel, in het bijzonder de tijdsafhankelijke straal van de ten minste één microbel, van een druk van de ten minste één microbel en van een grensspanning van de ten minste één microbel.eel is, and measuring at least one of a radius of the at least one microbubble, in particular the time-dependent radius of the at least one microbubble, of a pressure of the at least one microbubble and of a boundary voltage of the at least one microbubble.
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