An examination of the use of rotational viscometers for the quality control of non-Newtonian liquid products in factories

Abstract

A frequent task undertaken by quality-control personnel in typical consumer-goods factories is the measurement of the viscosity of liquid products. The problem often faced in this task is how to strike the correct balance between the complete rheological characterisation of the non-Newtonian properties of the liquid of interest – which requires expensive, sophisticated equipment and can be quite time-consuming – and the dictates of production pressures that demand, as near as possible, an instant decision, and one usually based on a single number. Here we consider the rheological issues that arise in such a debate, which is aimed at finding what adequate characterisation would require.

Keywords

• brookfield viscometer
• haake vt 550 viscometer
• non-newtonian liquids
• power-law model