Characterisation of time-independent and time-dependent rheological behaviour simultaneously by multiple loop...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Rheology
• Material Science

Background:

• Flowable food materials exhibit complex rheological behaviors.
• Conventional methods require separate time-independent and time-dependent experiments.
• Characterizing these properties is crucial for processing and product development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a single, simultaneous experiment for determining time-independent and time-dependent properties of flowable food materials.
• To introduce 'isoviscosity' as a metric for quantifying and comparing rheological properties.
• To validate the method using a model food system (chickpea flour dispersion).

Main Methods:

• A novel rheological experiment involving five loops of increasing and decreasing shear rates.
• Incorporation of yield stress measurements between shear rate loops.
• Application of the Herschel-Bulkley rheological model to analyze data.
• Utilizing chickpea flour dispersion as a model food system.

Main Results:

• Successfully determined both time-independent and time-dependent rheological properties in a single experiment.
• Quantified 'isoviscosity' for comparative analysis of flow behavior.
• Observed changes in rheological properties with an increasing number of loops.

Conclusions:

• The proposed single experiment offers a convenient and efficient method for characterizing complex flow behavior in food materials.
• The 'isoviscosity' parameter provides a valuable tool for comparing rheological properties.
• The method has potential applications beyond food systems to other non-Newtonian liquids.