Brabender AbsorptoMeter Automates OAN Testing with MetaBridge Integration

For carbon black, silica, pigments, and battery electrode materials, oil absorption numbers (OAN/COAN) provide a practical indicator of powder structure and dispersion behavior. 

Anton Paar’s Brabender AbsorptoMeter with integrated industry-leading MetaBridge software converts this classic test into an automated, traceable workflow where every drop counts. This eliminates manual variability and delivers audit-ready, highly repeatable results and straightforward data integration.

Built around automated ASTM and ISO methods, the Brabender AbsorptoMeter measures liquid absorption for applications ranging from conventional carbon black testing to pigments, fillers, recovered carbon black (rCB), graphene, and battery raw materials. 

In battery development and screening, it supports absorption measurements with challenging solvents, including NMP, to help assess solvent demand, mixing behavior, and wettability.

At the core of the measurement, a high-performance motor delivering up to 25 Nm records torque continuously while a precision metering pump titrates liquid into the powder inside the measuring mixer. The resulting torque curve makes changes in agglomeration and consistency visible over time and supports reproducible structure characterization.

To match different materials, the titration rate can be set from 0.025 mL/100 g to 100 mL/100 g. Up to four burettes can be connected sequentially or in parallel. This enables multi-liquid dosing and realistic simulation of complex formulations. Also, application-optimized tubing supports liquids up to 150,000 mPa·s, including NMP. 

To eliminate the root causes of variability, MetaBridge guides the weighing step with direct data transfer and an adjustable tolerance window. Tests will not start if the mass is outside tolerance. During measurement, the software synchronizes motor speed, torque acquisition, and titration flow rate in real time and can stop titration automatically once the relevant curve region (e.g., maximum torque) is reached, helping reduce unnecessary runtime and solvent use.

Automated startup routines prepare the system by cleaning burettes and establishing stable baseline conditions, while button-activated cleaning cycles simplify changeovers and help maintain consistent fluid paths. For stable, comparable results across batches and sites, temperature control is supported via a built-in thermostat for the mixer chamber. Plus, a stainless-steel casing supports robust day-to-day operation and simplifies cleaning.

Users can monitor tests live via the instrument’s screen or through a standard web browser from any device within the company network, enabling seamless collaboration, remote access, and direct service support when needed. Advanced tools such as reference curve overlays and correlation analysis allow users to compare results against specifications in real time, detect deviations early, and make faster, data-driven quality decisions.