MPI BUSINESS JUSTIFICATION.pdf

Mississippi Polymer Institute, MPI 46 Shelby Thames Dr.

Hattiesburg, MS 39402 Samuel Lahasky, PhD

Samuel.lahasky@usm.edu

Monday, August 24, 2026

To Whom it May Concern, The purchase of a TA Instruments Discovery Hybrid Rheometer HR 30 (DHR HR 30) is justified by the Mississippi Polymer Institute, as our laboratory focuses on polymer research, including masterbatch formulation, sustainable polymer development, and process engineering. Rheological characterization is essential for understanding polymer flow behavior, viscoelastic properties, dispersion, processability, and the effects of temperature, shear, additives, fillers, and processing history. The HR 30 will provide the advanced rheological capabilities needed to optimize masterbatch formulations, evaluate recycled, bio-based, and other sustainable polymer systems, and establish relationships between material formulation, processing conditions, and final performance. These capabilities will significantly expand our laboratory’s ability to support both fundamental polymer research and applied process and formulation development.

Selection of the TA Instruments Discovery Hybrid Rheometer HR 30 also provides a significant advantage because our laboratory has already invested in TA Instruments equipment and infrastructure. We currently own and operate a Discovery DMA 850 equipped with a TA Instruments Air Cooling Accessory (ACS-3). The existing ACS-3 is compatible with the Discovery Hybrid Rheometer platform, allowing it to be utilized with the proposed HR 30 rather than requiring the purchase of a separate cooling system. This compatibility enables the laboratory to leverage its existing capital investment while expanding its analytical capabilities.

A rheometer is also an important tool for advancing sustainability in polymer research and development. Rheological testing can be used to evaluate recycled polymers, bio-based materials, biodegradable polymers, and formulations incorporating renewable or recovered feedstocks, providing insight into how these materials will perform during processing and in their intended applications. It can also help identify degradation associated with recycling and reprocessing, optimize the incorporation of recycled content, and determine processing conditions that minimize energy use and material waste. These capabilities support the development of more sustainable polymer formulations while ensuring that improvements in environmental performance do not compromise processability or material performance.

Purchasing the HR 30 therefore provides both a technical and economic advantage over selecting a rheometer from another manufacturer. An alternative rheometer platform would not provide compatibility with our existing TA Instruments ACS-3 and could require the purchase of additional temperature-control equipment, along with additional installation, training, maintenance, and support requirements. The Discovery HR 30 provides the

Mississippi Polymer Institute, MPI 46 Shelby Thames Dr.

Hattiesburg, MS 39402 rheological capabilities required for our polymer research while integrating with equipment already owned by the laboratory. For these reasons, the purchase of the TA Instruments Discovery Hybrid Rheometer HR 30 represents the most technically appropriate, operationally efficient, and cost-effective solution for expanding our polymer characterization capabilities.

Cheers, Chief Scientist, MPI

(601) 266-6388 mailto:Samuel.lahasky@usm.edu