Minimum film forming temperature (MFFT) tester

MFFT - Minimum film forming temperature (MFFT) tester - SAMFT452

This instrument is employed for determining the minimum film-forming temperature. A painting emulsion is made up of solid particles of resin and fillers dispersed in water. In order to form the film, it is necessary for resin particles to get closer until touch each other, thanks to water evaporation. It is very important to know the filming temperature because it represents the minimum temperature below which an emulsion is not able to give a continuous film without cracks. 

The minimum film-forming temperature (MFFT) of a paint, an adhesive, an emulsion or a coating is the minimum temperature at which the product, applied to a substrate, blends and forms a homogeneous and transparent film without the presence of cracks. The product to be tested is spread on a copper plate and 16 temperature sensors monitor and keep the temperature stable. Cold air and hot air are found separately on both ends of the plate to produce a different temperature gradient through the theory of thermal conduction. An emulsion film of uniform and continuous thickness is applied to the temperature plate, the dry air prevents the condensation and the temperature of the plate evaporates the sample forming the film. 

Due to the different temperature on the plate, the film formation position is different. By manually moving a cursor to the point where there is a separation between the transparent film and the non-transparent white film (coalescence process), the film-forming temperature is identified and the corresponding value can be easily read on the instrument’s display.