I have a piece of glassware in my lab that is a flattened U-shape made from a thick walled capillary. There is a bulb on one side labeled 5mL and the other side has a 135 degree bend at the top of the tube. Both sides of the capillary are graduated. It reminds me of a viscometer or a manometer, but I'm not sure what it is. I've attached a picture. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Looks like an Ostwald viscometer to me. See for example: https://tinyurl.com/y62ta4rb
Yes, I agree. It looks like a simplified Ostwald viscosimeter. Have a look at
https://www.techknow.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Ostwald_viscosimeter
It does look a bit like an Ostwald viscometer, but I'm just not sure what all the graduations are down the capillaries. Sorry the picture isn't very clear, so it's hard to see. The bottom of the U is also flat and not curved, so I'm not sure if things would flow correctly through it as a viscometer, or how to tell the size/flow rate. The capillary seems larger than the Fenske viscometer we have in the lab, but that one is on the smaller side. Here's a better picture of the one with blue markings. It's easier to read.
One needs to time the flow of material between 2 points, so this is still an Ostwald viscometer to me - or the application is a viscosity measurement. One would raise the liquid one end with a pipette pump and allow it to flow back timing the passage. Run with the standard sample and then your sample.
I've used a manual, tube viscometer before, so using it shouldn't be that much different than the one we already have, if that's what it's for. Timing without the large upper bulb and two straightforward marks might be a bit difficult though.The graduations and lack of upper sample bulb(s) make me think it may still be for some other application. I'll test it out when I have more sample though, and see how it goes. The flow rate may be too high for my polymer solutions, but I'll keep this question updated on what I find out. Thanks for all the help!
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