Rheology

Rheology is the study of flowing liquids or viscous materials. As such it covers properties related to
the flow behavior of liquids and the temporary and/or permanent deformation of (semi-) solid
materials. These are typically known as viscous, visco-elastic and elastic properties. These
properties can be measured using a rheometer both in a static and/or a dynamic environment.
Typical factors affecting these properties can be external forces, temperature, duration of stress,
creep, chemical changes in a material (e.g. curing, chemical-aging).

Rheological studies can be used to perform process modeling, e.g. to mimic or optimize process
conditions, such as in plastic (reaction) injection molding, 3D printing, or in the UV and thermal
curing of adhesives. A rheometer measures material properties in rotary or oscillatory
measurement mode in response to an applied force.

Various measurement configurations are possible, depending on the material or desired property
to be measured. Common examples are cone-plate, plate-plate and cylinder-cup configurations.
Software is used to accommodate these different measurement configurations and calculations
are done to derive the physical properties of interest.

Ideal Uses of Rheology

 Viscosity and visco-elastic measurements of chemicals, oils, printing inks, lubricants,

personal care products (e.g. toothpaste, lotions), food & beverages (e.g. dairy products)

 Shear and loss modulus measurements of plastics (after initial melting)

 Adhesives: Curing behavior – monitoring the transition of a fluid to a (semi-) solid

 Thermal properties: Glass transition, Tg, and melting temperature, and coefficient of
thermal expansion (CTE) of plastics

Strengths

 Highly versatile: many different properties can be measured

 The technique is suited for many different samples, of various sources, and in a large
variety of physical states

Limitations

 Careful experimental design and set-up is extremely important, in order to avoid

erroneous results

 Not suited for very hard materials such as stone (> 10 GPa)

Rheology Technical Specifications

 Acquired data: Axial position, force

 Accuracy: dependent on the material type and the particular property under investigation

 Sample type & requirements: Fluids, semi-solids up to few GPa of stiffness/hardness

 Temperature: Dependent on heating accessory – ranging from -160°C to 600°C

 Minimum sample volume: Dependent on accessory/geometry: ~ 2.5 µl (with plate-plate of

8 mm diameter) and 50 µm (sample layer thickness)
RHELOGY

Rheology is used to describe and assess the deformation and flow behavior of materials. Fluids
flow at different speeds and solids can be deformed to a certain extent. Oil, honey, shampoo,
hand cream, toothpaste, sweet jelly, plastic materials, wood, and metals – depending on their
physical behavior, they can be put in an order: On the one side liquids, on the other side solids,
and in between highly viscous, semi-solid substances. 

On this page, the fundamental principles – the basics of rheology – are presented and explained. It
is dedicated to giving an introduction to rheology, provides information about measuring
geometries and rotational as well as oscillatory tests, and also contains definitions of the most
important terms, such as shear stress, shear rate, or shear deformation. You will also find
everything there is to know about flow and viscosity curves and examples of calculations and test
types.

What is rheology?

D I Wilson1,*

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Abstract

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Introduction

Rheology is the science of deformation of material. The name was coined by Eugene Bingham, who
founded the Society of Rheology in the USA, and its root lies in the Greek word for flow. It includes
the theory ‘underlying’ the deformation and the practice of measurement. Spell checking tools often
try to change the term to ‘theology’: those working in the field describe themselves as rheologists.

Many physiological materials and fluids exhibit complicated rheology. Within the eye, examples
include the vitreous humour, the liquid in the tear film, and the blood in capillaries. This article is not
a detailed account: rather, the article is written as a primer, leaving out quantitative detail but
indicating where mathematical considerations must be considered. There are several good
textbooks on rheology.

Rheology is concerned with the question ‘How does a material respond to a force?’. The basic
equation in words is

Physical scientists refer to forces acting on materials in terms of stresses, or force per unit area. The
response is either quantified in terms of the amount of deformation, i.e. strain, or the rate of
deformation, usually referred to as a strain rate. There are two different types of strain, which are
illustrated in Figure 1. Shear strains are associated with change of shape, and are encountered in
flows along tubes (e.g., arteries) as layers of material slide past one another. Figure 1a shows the
velocity profile in the gap between two plates where one plate is moved relative to the other. An
initially rectangular element becomes a parallelogram, with the change in shape expressed in terms
of an angle, γ. If the material is flowing, the velocity gradient can be related to the shear strain rate.
Normal strains, in contrast, are associated with a change in size such as that created by extension
in Figure 1b. The normal strain ε is given by ε=ln[L/Lo]. Note that strains have sign: shrinkage,
where L<Lo, is associated with a negative value of ε.