Brabender Aquatrac-V keeps polymer moisture under control

Residual moisture remains one of the most underestimated risks in plastics processing. Even small deviations can affect polymer viscosity, cause streaks, bubbles, cavities, poor demoulding behaviour, fluctuating throughput, or reduced surface quality. With Brabender Aquatrac-V, Anton Paar provides plastics processors, polymer producers, and quality laboratories with a proven, water-selective moisture analyser that helps keep material quality under control from incoming goods to finished parts.

The Aquatrac method has been established in the plastics industry for decades and is recognised for determining residual moisture in solids using the calcium hydride method. Aquatrac-V works according to DIN EN ISO 15512:2019 Method E. The sample is heated under vacuum, released water reacts with calcium hydride, hydrogen is formed, and the resulting pressure increase is used to calculate the water content. Because the method is water-selective, users can distinguish actual moisture from other volatile components that may be released during heating.

“Reliable moisture data helps plastics processors make better decisions before quality problems become expensive,” says Christian Witt, Product Manager at Anton Paar. “Aquatrac-V brings this information close to the process – whether users are checking incoming granulate, optimising drying, measuring at the machine, or verifying conditioned parts.”

Aquatrac-V offers a resolution of 0.0001 % H₂O, 1 ppm, or 0.01 mg, with measurement temperatures from 60°C to 200°C. The compact, robust, and portable design makes it suitable for laboratory and production environments. The vacuum it creates makes the measurement independent of ambient humidity, supporting reproducible results wherever the process requires them.

The instrument is designed for straightforward daily use. Operators select a material from the built-in database, weigh the suggested sample amount, add sample and reagent, close the chamber, and start the measurement. Guided workflows, user management, material-specific processing limits, browser-based access, and easy data export help standardise quality control without requiring special lab infrastructure.

Aquatrac-V is suitable for polymer granules, flakes, foils, injection-molded parts up to 3 mm wall thickness, and solid bodies up to 3 mm diameter or wall thickness. It can also support melt flow rate preparation by checking and drying the polymer sample before further characterisation.

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