Rheology basics

What is Rheology?

Rheology is the branch of physics that deals with the deformation and flow of matter. It primarily studies the flow of matter in a fluid state, but also includes “soft solids” or solids under conditions where they respond with plastic flow rather than deforming elastically in response to an applied force.

This field is particularly important for understanding the behavior of non-Newtonian fluids, whose viscosity changes with the strain rate. Rheology applies to substances with complex microstructures, such as muds, sludges, suspensions, polymers, many foods, bodily fluids, and other biological materials

Why is rheology important for the industry?

Rheology plays a crucial role in various industries due to its ability to describe the deformation and flow of materials. Even today, rheology measurements are mainly carried out in laboratories after a sample has been removed from the process. This is a costly and time consuming operation that also leads to errors (human factor and different conditions). Here are some examples on the importance of rheology:

Food Industry:

Rheology is vital in understanding food behavior and texture. It helps answer key questions like whether a food product will deform easily, flow through a pipe, or work well as a topping. It also plays a significant role in the development, optimization, and processing of foods.

Paper and Pulp Industry:

Rheology is plays an important role in the flow behavior of complex microstructure fiber networks, which are common in this industry. Accurate measurements of flow and consistency is critical for controlling and optimizing the production.

Industrial Substances Production:

Rheology is critical in the production of industrial substances like paints, inks, and cement. It helps in determining the mechanical performance of polymer-based substances like rubber, plastic, and textile.

Oil and Gas Industry:

Rheology affects the behavior of produced fluids, drilling fluids, cement, workover fluids, and completion fluids. It’s particularly important for heavy oil production because high viscosity makes heavy oil difficult to produce.

In summary, rheology is essential in many areas of industry, helping in the creation of new products, controlling the quality of raw materials, final products, and manufacturing processes.

Measuring rheology directly inline in the production line offers several advantages

Efficiency:

Inline rheology measurement decreases the overall production time. Traditional rheometry testing methods typically take place off-line with sampling required from the process stream, which can be time-consuming.

Quality Control:

Inline measurement ensures higher quality control through real-time measurement and feedback. It provides a basis for real-time product release to unlock process capacity.

Waste Reduction:

Inline rheology measurement can detect problems quicker, therefore reducing waste and product loss. It has been estimated that a large proportion of product loss in liquid personal care products globally could be reduced by the use of in-line rheology measurement.

Process Optimization:

Inline measurement improves quality control responsiveness, process optimization, and improved formulation control. It provides information to enhance process design.

Cost Saving:

Inline viscosity monitoring can be used to save costs incurred by losses, reprocessing, or regrading.

In summary, inline rheology measurement using Incipientus developed and patented technology can enhance the manufacturing process by improving efficiency, quality control, and cost-effectiveness.

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