EXTRUDABILITY is the power required to push or force something out of something.
A compression-extrusion test consists of applying force to a product until it flows through an outlet (or number of outlets) that may be in the form of one or more slots or holes that are in the test cell. The product is compressed until the structure of the product is disrupted and it extrudes through these outlets.
Quantifying extrudability is important to determine the ease of removal and application of products such as ointments, creams, gels, sauces, paint, icings etc. Product developers can analyse changes in a product's consistency throughout its shelf life and adapt formulations accordingly whilst also enabling manufacturers to assess the suitability of packaging material and its construction.
The term coined to signify consumers’ reliance on life’s little luxuries in harder times – the ‘Lipstick Factor’ – applies now as it did during the Great Depression in the 1930s.
The total 44 Innovation Seminars at last year’s In-Cosmetics, Paris, reinforced this view of a forward-looking industry. Admittedly, the cosmetics market is extremely crowded, making this a highly competitive business in which to operate.
This demands that, if a brand is to retain consumers through repeat purchase, product quality is impressive enough to outweigh flash marketing campaigns of rival products.
The quality and appeal of cosmetic products is judged by factors such as texture, appearance, odour and performance. Successful analyses of texture can encourage positive consumer reception of a new or existing product, and test responses provide manufacturers with vital information on the right combination of ingredients, as well as the most suitable manufacturing methods to achieve the desired result.
