Slurry rheology is often required for proper design of thickeners, filters, agitators, pipelines, pumps, screens, etc. Viscosity measurements can be made on Newtonian or non-Newtonian pulps exhibiting pseudoplastic, Bingham plastic, rheopectic, dilatant, or thixotropic behaviors. Collected data can be used to determine the basic rheological parameters of each material at known particle size, pH, ORP, temperature, liquor density, solids density, and flocculant or reagent dose. These include apparent viscosity (at various appropriate shear rates), yield value, and coefficient of rigidity at multiple solids concentrations.

Pocock Industrial utilizes different viscometers based on slurry properties or client needs. Fann viscometers can be used for measuring the rheological properties of solids containing slurries using various rotor and bob combinations and industry standard methodologies. Haake viscometers are useful for measuring the rheological properties of higher viscosity materials encountered in paste thickening and paste back fill applications. Samples would generally result from laboratory thickening tests, pilot plant operations, or operating plants.