#1 — Orifice viscometers

An orifice viscometer usually consists of a cup with a hole, through which the
fluid flows. Viscosity is determined by timing how long it takes the cup to
empty, and is measured in cup seconds. Orifice viscometers are easy to use
manually, thanks to the fact that they’re simply dipped into the fluid being
worked with — making them popular in painting industries. They include Zahn
Cups, Ford Cups, and more.

#2 — Capillary viscometers
Also known as U-tube viscometers, capillary viscometers include the Ostwald
and Ubbelohde variations. They’re straight-forward and simple to use,
consisting of a U-shaped glass tube with two bulbs (one higher and one
lower). Fluid passes from the higher bulb to the lower bulb through a capillary,
and viscosity is measured by timing how long it takes the fluid to pass through
the tube.

#3 — Falling piston viscometers

According to Wikipedia, falling piston viscometers were invented by Austin
Norcross, which is why they’re also called Norcross viscometers. They
function by drawing the fluid being measured into the piston cylinder while the
piston is raised; the time it takes the piston to fall (time-of-fall seconds) due to
the resistance of the fluid is used to determine viscosity. Falling piston
viscometers are easy to use and simple to maintain, and offer long product
life.

#4 — Rotational viscometers
Rotational viscometers measure viscosity by immersing a rotating spindle in
the fluid to be tested. The amount of power (torque) required to turn the
spindle indicates the viscosity of the fluid, and because rotational viscometers
do not use gravity to function, their measurements are based on the fluid's
internal shear stress.

#5 — Falling ball viscometers

Falling ball viscometers work in a similar fashion to falling piston viscometers.
With this type of viscometer, a ball is dropped into a sample of the fluid being
measured. The dimensions of the ball are already known, so viscosity is
determined by timing how long it takes the ball (again, using time-of-fall
seconds) to fall through the fluid via gravity.

#6 — Vibrational viscometers
Vibrational viscometers use a powered vibrating rod to measure viscosity.
Different fluids are more or less resistant to vibrations depending on how
viscous they are. Therefore, by measuring the dampening of the vibration, or
by measuring how quickly the vibration of the viscometer degrades, viscosity
can be determined. Vibrational viscometers are very popular thanks to the fact
that they offer high sensitivity with no moving parts.

If you’d like more information on the best type of viscometer for your particular
application, contact Saint Clair Systems.

 Orifice viscometers
 Capillary viscometers
 Falling piston viscometers
 Rotational viscometers
 Falling ball viscometers
 Vibrational viscomete