Technical Data Sheet
Technical Tip
Internet Address:
www.emersoncuming.com
What is Rheology?
Rheology is the study of how a material deforms
during and after a force is applied. Rheology
directly affects product handling and flow
characteristics. Some common measurements
used to describe rheology are viscosity, thixotropic
index, dispense rate, and sag resistance.
Why is Rheology Important?
Controlling rheological properties is essential for
polymeric processing and application.
Mixing - Rheology effects ease of mixing
whether by hand, with a premeasured
package, or with a static mix tube.
Dispensing - Rheology dictates how a
material is applied whether by spatula, spray,
pump, syringe, cartridge, screen/stencil
printing, or pouring. It is influenced by how
rapidly viscosity changes once mixed due to
the mixtures chemistry.
Settling - Rheology affects the degree and
rate at which fillers settle. Also important is
filler type, particle size, shape, and size
distribution. This is especially important for
coatings and heavily filled encapsulants.
Flow Control - Rheology affects the way a
material flows. High flow allows easy entry
into intricate spaces versus a low flow which
prevents flow into critical areas. Flow control
is very important during initial application and
during the curing process as well.
Understanding Rheology
Rheological Classifications
There are two types of fluids: Newtonian and NonNewtonian.
Newtonian Fluids
These are truly viscous ideal liquids, which
means as the shear rate changes the viscosity
remains constant (water, oils, solvents). Hence if
you double the strain rate you will double the
stress required.
Non-Newtonian Fluids
These fluids are affected by shear and are divided
into Power Law Fluids (Pseudoplastic or Dilatant)
and Time Dependent Fluids (Rheopectic or
Thixotropic). Most polymers are pseudoplastic
and thixotropic.
What Affects Rheology?
Resin - resin type and molecular weight
affects viscosity and surface wetting.
Formulation - additives and fillers (type,
shape, size, size distribution, and surface
smoothness).
Temperature - with epoxies every 1C
change can cause up to a 5-10% change in
viscosity.
Shear - the duration and amount of any force
applied to the material. Shear rate measures
a constant force.
Pseudoplastic: As shear increases, viscosity
decreases. No matter how long a
pseudoplastic material is sheared at a given
shear rate, the viscosity will remain the same.
Many polymeric systems are pseudoplastic,
perhaps the most classic example is
mayonnaise.
Dilatant: These are the opposite of
pseudoplastic that is, as shear increases the
viscosity increases. Some highly filled
materials are dilatant.
Rheopectic : Viscosity increases as a
function of time. Examples would be a mixed
epoxy increasing in viscosity as curing takes
place or a solvent based adhesive or coating
where the viscosity increases as the solvent
evaporates.
Thixotropic: Viscosity decreases over time
when using a constant shear rate. As shear
rate decreases the material will gradually
recover the original internal structure before
shear, this can take seconds or days to fully
recover. Many times, when a material sits, it
will structure, this will give a false high
viscosity reading if the material is not
premixed.
Note: These are text book definitions, in common
usage pseudoplastic and thixotropic may be used
interchangeably or in combination. They are also
not mutually exclusive.
Our service engineers are available to help purchasers obtain best results from our products, and recommendations are based on tests and information believed to be reliable.
However, we have no control over the conditions under which our products are transported to, stored, handled, or used by purchasers and, in any event, all recommendations
and sales are made on condition that we will not be held liable for any damages resulting from their use. No representative of ours has any authority to waive or change this
provision. We also expect purchasers to use our products in accordance with the guiding principles of the Chemical Manufacturers Associations Responsible Care program.
Understanding Rheology Technical Tip
Measuring Rheological Properties
Viscosity: A measure of the internal resistance of
friction when a material moves against itself.
Viscosity can be effected by the resin chemical
structure, or the type and amount of filler added.
The lowest viscosity materials are unfilled, short
chained compounds.
The internal resistance or viscosity is
typically measured using a rotating spindle
instrument such as a Brookfield viscometer. The
amount of force needed to turn the spindle
(torque) at a selected speed (RPM) is measured.
A simple calculation converts this internal
resistance to viscosity. There are different
surface area spindles used to measure different
viscosity ranges.
The higher the torque value, the higher
the viscosity. The force is measured as Pascal
2
seconds, Poise or Newton seconds per meter .
One milliPascal second (mPas.) equals one
-4
centipoise (cP) or 1x10 Newton seconds per
2
meter . ASTM D 2393 is an example of a
common viscosity test procedure used in North
America.
Rotational spindle viscometers and cone
and plate viscometers are used for most
adhesives, encapsulants , inks, and some
coatings. The Zahn Cup, Ford Cup, DuPont
Parlin, and ISO Cup are some of the methods
commonly used for coatings. Their general
principal is to measure the time it takes a given
volume to gravity feed through a given orifice.
Viscosity Profiles: A viscosity value is usually just
one reading taken at a specific shear and
temperature. The most descriptive method is the
viscosity profile. Cone and plate viscometers can
provide continuous, precise measurements over
a wide range of shear rates and temperatures.
Viscosity profiles can also be very useful for
knowing how viscosity changes during cure. This
can be essential in some applications with tightly
toleranced flow properties.
Underfills
Solder Alternatives
Film Adhesives
Thixotropic Index: A more accurate term would
actually be Pseudoplastic Index", however,
thixotropic index or shear thinning index (STI)
have become accepted terms. It gives an
indication as to how stiff and non-sag a material
will be. A common measurement runs viscosity
at two different shear rates such as 1 RPM and 10
RPM. The value recorded at the higher RPM is
divided into the value at the lower RPM to obtain
the index. Generally materials have thixotropic
index values between 1 (high flow) and 5 (low flow
or non-sag).
Dispense Rate: A test that usually specifies the
orifice size, dispensing pressure and dispensing
temperature. Then one either measures the
amount of material dispensed in a particular time
or the time to dispense a particular amount. Press
Flow (often for cartridges), orifice flow, and syringe
dispense rate are common dispense rate tests.
Sag Resistance: A special rheological measure
for highly thixotropic products. Sag resistance is a
measure of the resistance to flow with no shear on
the material. Generally a bead of material is
applied to a flat surface and the final flow or
spread is measured and recorded. The surface
angle, temperature, and time are specified by the
particular test method.
Common Viscosity Comparisons
Material
Viscosity (cP)
Water
1
Kerosene
10
SAE #10 Motor Oil
500
Castor Oil
1,000
Corn Syrup
5,000
Honey
10,000
Hot Fudge Syrup
25,000
Molasses
50,000
Heavy Molasses
100,000
C.O.B. Materials
Encapsulants
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