1. Rheology and processing of complex liquids

1.1 Paste classification and rheology

Paste products are used in everyday life, but also as finished or intermediate products in most process industries. Listing all the industrial sectors in which pastes are used is a daunting task; however, from the heaviest to the finest industries, the fields most particularly concerned are: drilling muds in oilfield development, cements and mortars, mineral processing in extractive metallurgy, polymers in melt or solution, paper pulp, sealants, paints and varnishes, and the food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals industries.

There is no simple definition of the term "pastes"; they are intermediates between fluids and solids, and are characterized by very high apparent viscosity. It is generally accepted that pastes are concentrated...