The viscosity facility has been designed for very high accuracy and uniformity in temperature, pressure, and composition implying careful design and advanced instrumentation. The infrastructure is unique due to its particular adaptation to CCS applications, and is qualified for corrosive, toxic, and explosive mixtures. The setup is utilizing a two-capillary design, with a design range between −60 and 150 °C in temperature and up to 800 bar in pressure. Except for in the immediate surroundings of the critical point, the setup is designed for an accuracy of the order of 0.1 % in viscosity and pressure, and 10 mK in temperature. Thermal stability and uniformity are achieved through the use of highly accurate thermostatic baths. In order to get full benefit of the viscosity measurements, it is important to measure density of the same mixtures under identical conditions such that both kinematic and dynamic viscosities are found. Hence, an Anton Paar oscillating tube densimeter is connected to the viscometer, which can be used down to -10 °C.
The facility can measure viscosity with very high accuracy, and it is particularly useful for liquid CO2 mixtures where currently very little data is available.
The facility is located in the thermal laboratories of NTNU/SINTEF with its available infrastructures and services. Specifically, it could be a great advantage to utilize the ECCSEL TA8.3 CO2Mix setup for accurate gravimetric preparation of CO2-rich mixtures. The facility is also directly adjacent to the offices of leading scientists in the field of SINTEF and NTNU. Further advanced facilities for property measurements are constructed in the same room.