Constitutive analysis of the nonlinear viscoelastic properties of cellulosic fiber gels produced from corn or oat hulls

The evaluation and development of validated models for the nonlinear viscoelastic (VE) behavior of materials is an important area of research, which has impact on a number of industrial processes including those in the food industry. Various nonlinear VE models have been developed over the years and evaluated for petroleum-based polymers, however, our understanding of the nonlinear VE behavior of biopolymers of industrial import lags our understanding of synthetic polymers. In the work reported herein, the nonlinear VE behavior of several cellulosic fiber gels prepared from either corn or oat hulls were investigated. The rheological properties were measured using a Rheometrics Series IV controlled-strain rheometer equipped with a cone and plate fixture. The measurements were conducted at 23±0.1 °C. The rheological data were interpreted using a strain separable K-BKZ type (Wagner) model with a damping function evaluated from stress relaxation data. The Wagner model was found to provide an accurate description of the rheological behavior of the suspensions.