A fluid’s viscosity—thickness, more or less— depends on many factors, and it impacts many applications. “Viscosity is more than one number. It’s a curve.” Moreover, the need to measure a material’s fluid behavior varies based on what it is and how it will be used. That leads to a fundamental question: How do you know if you need a viscometer or a rheometer?

The search starts by knowing what you plan to do with the device. “Be thoughtful to make sure that the instrument covers everything you’re interested in”, if one number is enough, you can use a viscometer, but with more complex fluids you’ll need a rheometer.

There are two types of fluids. In Newtonian fluids—like water—the viscosity stays the same no matter how fast it is being sheared. Conversely, the viscosity of a non-Newtonian fluid does depend on the shear rate. You would choose a viscometer for a Newtonian fluid and a rheometer for a non-Newtonian fluid.

If you are new to the game, a viscometer it probably more than enough, and will give you every piece of information that you need in the immediate future. If you want to measure properties like yield stress or creep, then you need to get in the rheometer arena.

For more information and technical and application support, please contact LMS for specific advice.

#ThermoHaake #Viscotester #Rheometer #LMS