RHEOLOGY OF THE TRIGLYCERIDES TRICAPROIN, TRICAPRYLIN, AND TRICAPRIN AND OF DIESEL FUEL

The rheological properties of pure samples and mixtures of diesel fuel and three triglycerides, tricaproin, tricaprylin, and tricaprin, and their liquid density at 25.0-degrees-C were experimentally determined Dynamic viscosities of the four pure liquids and mixtures of diesel/tr icaprylin and tricaproin/tricaprylin were measured for shear rates of 1.617 to 64.69 s-1 at temperatures of 10.0 to 85-degrees-C. The result ing measurements were fit to a power law model to obtain values for th e consistency coefficient and the flow behavior index. These results i ndicated pseudoplastic flow behavior for all pure liquids and mixtures , with increasing non-Newtonian behavior at higher temperatures. For d iesel/tricaprylin and tricaproin/tricaprylin mixtures, measured viscos ities at a constant shear rate of 32.34 s-1 were successfully compared with values predicted by the Grunberg-Nissan Equation.