Rheometer for the determination of the viscosity of cement pastes / mortars / ceramic slurries. The Malvern Kinexus Pro+ instrument is able to operate in the working temperature range: -30 °C - +200 °C.
Many simple fluids, like water, are classified as Newtonian fluids because the measured viscosity is independent of the applied shear rate. However, when fluid complexity increases, due to the inclusion of bubbles, droplets, particles or polymers, fluids may have more complex behaviors and present a non-Newtonian response: in this case, the viscosity is a function of the applied shear rate. These fluids are generally called structured fluids or complex fluids and their flow curve can be described by means of a rheometer. Non-Newtonian fluids may also show other phenomenon such as yield stress, thixotropy and viscoelasticity that can have a major impact on material behavior and product performance.
Non-Newtonian behavior is common for many industrial and commercial products including toothpaste, mayonnaise, paints, cosmetics, ceramic slurries for 3D printing and cement pastes, which are generally shear thinning fluids, as their viscosity decreases when the shear rate increases.
