Dr. Murtadha Alshareifi e-Library
19 Rheology Chapter Objectives At the conclusion of this chapter the student should be able to: 1. Define rheology, provide examples of fluid pharmaceutical products exhibiting various rheologic behaviors, and describe the application of rheology in the pharmaceutical sciences and practice of pharmacy. 2. Understand and define the following concepts: shear rate, shear stress, viscosity, kinematic viscosity, fluidity, plasticity, yield point, pseudoplasticity, shear thinning, dilatancy, shear thickening, thixotropy, hysteresis, antithixotropy, rheopexy, plug flow, and viscoelasticity. 3. Define and understand Newton's law of flow and its application. 4. Differentiate flow properties and corresponding rheograms between Newtonian and non-Newtonian materials. 5. Understand and calculate the effects of temperature on viscosity and recognize similarities between viscous flow and diffusion relative to temperature. 6. Recognize and identify specific rheologic behaviors with their corresponding rheograms. 7. Appreciate the fundamentals of the practical determination of rheologic properties and describe four types of viscometers and their utility and limitations in determining rheologic properties of various systems. 8. Appreciate the differences between continuous or steady shear rheometry and oscillatory and creep measurements in determining the consistency of viscoelastic materials. The term ―rheology,‖ from the Greek rheo (―to flow‖) and logos(―science‖), was suggested by Bingham and Crawford (as reported by Fischer1) to describe the flow of liquids and the deformation of solids. Viscosity is an expression of the resistance of a fluid to flow; the higher the viscosity, the greater is the resistance. As will be seen later, simple liquids can be described in terms of absolute viscosity. Rheologic properties of heterogeneous dispersions are more complex, however, and cannot be expressed by a single value. Fundamental principles of rheology are used to study paints, inks, doughs, road-building materials, cosmetics, dairy products, and other materials. An understanding of the viscosity of liquids, solutions, and dilute and concentrated colloidal systems has both practical and theoretical value. ScottBlair2 recognized the importance of rheology in pharmacy and suggested its application in the formulation and analysis of such pharmaceutical products as emulsions, pastes, suppositories, and tablet coatings. Manufacturers of medicinal and cosmetic creams, pastes, and lotions must be capable of producing products with acceptable consistency and smoothness and reproducing these qualities each time a new batch is prepared. In many industries, a trained person with extensive experience handles in-process material periodically during manufacture to determine its ―feel‖ and ―body‖ and judge proper consistency. The variability of such subjective tests at different times under varying environmental conditions is, however, well recognized. A more serious objection, from a scientific standpoint, is the failure of subjective tests to distinguish various properties that make up the total consistency of the product. If these individual physical characteristics are delineated and studied objectively according to the analytic methods of rheology, valuable information can be obtained for use in formulating better pharmaceutical products. Rheology is involved in the mixing and flow of materials, their packaging into containers, and their removal prior to use, whether this is achieved by pouring from a bottle, extrusion from a tube, or passage through a syringe needle. The rheology of a particular product, which can range in consistency from fluid to semisolid to solid, can affect its patient acceptability, physical stability, and even biologic
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