1 Scope
This document gives information on an interlaboratory comparison for the determination
of the time-dependent structural change (thixotropy) using rheological test methods.
Thixotropy is the reversible, time-dependent decrease of shear viscosity η at a constant shear rate
γ
˙
or shear stress τ.
This document provides examples of fields of application, in which important material
properties can be characterized by the thixotropy. These fields of application include:
-
— effectiveness of rheological additives and thixotropic agents, respectively;
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— stability of the structure at rest (e.g. behaviour when starting to pump);
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— wet film thickness after processing;
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— levelling and sagging behaviour (e.g. without brushmarks or sag formation);
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— orientation of effect pigments.