Rheology and microstructure of pastes with crystal network

This article reviews scientific studies which have been focused on the structure-property relationships of pastes with crystal network by considering fat crystal network as the key example. The review illustrates how rheology can be a valuable tool to characterize the mechanical behavior in these pastes and also provide information about the underlying microstructure in conjunction with various complimentary techniques. Rheological tests which can be adopted to determine the yielding behavior of the crystal network containing pastes are also presented. We have used these methods and concepts to characterize fatty acid crystal network to study a system emulating a skin cream formulation. It is hoped that the rheological fundamentals and the microstructural characterization techniques discussed in context of fat crystal network can be translated to other experimental systems where crystal-forming components are added to impart pasty material characteristics. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.