The viscosity of maltitol

The densities rho(theta) of maltitol, glucose and sorbitol were measured by using a pycnometer and by a dilatometry method with a cathetometer. The te mperature dependence of rho is linear both for the liquid and for the glass y state. The shear viscosity has been measured over about 11 orders of magn itude, by means of three methods: using a capillary tube (10(-1)-10(2) Pa s ), falling spheres (10-10(6) Pa s) and a penetro-viscosimeter (10(5)-10(12) Pa s). It has been fitted to the Vogel relation and to the hyperbolic rela tion log eta = A + B/(d - d(o)), where d is the mean intermolecular distanc e, calculated from the values of rho in the liquid phase (T > T-g). The cut -off length appears also to be identical to the minimum distance ro reached in the glassy state at 0 K (r(0) = 7, 19 Angstrom for maltitole and 5,77 A ngstrom for glucose). The results obtained with other molecular liquids all ow us to claim that this equality is well respected in the whole interval 3 ,3-7,2 Angstrom.