Despite the high economic potential of pequi pulp, studies related to its physical properties for use in industrial projects and processes are still scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the rheological behavior of pequi pulp with different total soluble solids contents (6, 8, 10 and 12 °Brix) and at different temperatures (25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 °C). The experimental measurements were made using a Brookfield viscometer and the rheological models Ostwald-de-Waelle, Herschel-Bulkley and Mizrahi-Berk were fitted to the experimental data for shear stress and shear rate. Of the rheological models tested, the best fits were observed using the Mizrahi-Berk model. The pequi pulp showed a trend for decreasing apparent viscosity with increasing shear rate, behaving as a non-Newtonian fluid with pseudoplastic characteristics.
Caryocar coriaceum Wittm; viscosity; non-Newtonian fluid
