The fundaments of rheometry are relatively simple, and the construction of equipments to measure the rheological behavior of materials can be accomplished with small investment. The aim of this paper is to describe the design and construction of a capillary rheometer to characterize feed ingredients. The force required to extrude and maintain sample flow was 986.02±52.05; 559.60±52.24 and 338.25±45.86N for the samples with 29.04±0.08, 31.91±1.01 and 34.98±0.30% moisture, respectively, with negligible (0.20 to 0.01% of total force) friction among moving parts, neither any mass reflux between piston and cylinder. Based on the fundaments of rheology, it was possible to build a capillary rheometer using simple materials and operations usually available in an engineering laboratory at a total cost of R$ 4,500.00.
shear rate; rheology; mechanical properties of materials
