Polymer Rheology: Impact of Humidity on Material Behavior

Humidity plays a crucial role in determining the behavior and performance of polymeric and soft materials. This webinar explores how varying levels of humidity influence material responses such as rheology, tackiness, and tribological behavior.

Through controlled humidity experiments, the session demonstrates how water absorption and desorption alter material properties like modulus, viscosity, curing, and flowability of different materials. Case studies will include practical examples across diverse applications, such as polymer films, adhesives, food products, powders, and coatings. Humidity is shown to have both reversible and irreversible effects on the softening of gelatin and tackiness of chewing gum to the curing of silicone sealants, and flowability of powders.

Participants will gain insights into how humidity affects product performance, shelf life, and processing—leading to better design, formulation, and quality control in research and industrial applications

Presenter: Mohammed Naimul Hoque, PhD

Mohammed Naimul Hoque is an Advanced Application Engineer – Rheology at Anton Paar USA, specializing in the rheological characterization of complex fluids and colloids. His work involves customer sample testing, collaborating with academic and industrial clients, and providing training on rheological instruments and techniques.

Prior to joining Anton Paar, Naimul earned his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Texas Tech University, where his research focused on modeling the flow behavior of colloidal dispersions and predicting their extrusion behavior using extensional rheological techniques, such as dripping-onto-substrate (DoS) rheometry.