Rheological Characterization of Petrolatum Using a Controlled Stress Rheometer

Abstract

The current study focuses on characterizing the rheological characteristics of different petrolatum grades using a controlled stress rheometer. Both steady-state flow and dynamic oscillatory tests were conducted on the petrolatums. The thermorheological scans were found to be the most informative and reproducible for this study. Significant differences in the structure were observed between the petrolatum grades. The structural differences were found to be most significant in the temperature range 25–35°C. The findings from this study will help in identifying the critical parameters (for e.g., temperature, mixing) during the processing and handling of such materials, which can have a direct impact on the product rheology and performance.

Keywords:

• rheology
• petrolatum
• thermorheological scans
• structure
• dynamic oscillatory testing