Rheological and thixotropic properties of coatings are terms that describe the properties and behavior of coatings during construction and use. Although they are somewhat similar, they have different meanings and aspects involved.
Rheology refers to the response of a coating to external forces and changes in its internal structure during construction and use. The rheology of a coating describes how it changes under different shear forces or stresses. Rheology is the science that studies the deformation and flow behavior of matter.
Thixotropy is a special type of rheology in which a coating has a higher viscosity at rest, but when shear force or stress is applied, its viscosity decreases significantly, making the coating easier to flow. When shear force is applied, the paint gradually returns to its high viscosity at rest. Thixotropy can be seen as a reversible time dependence as the viscosity of the paint returns over time.
Briefly, rheology refers to the response of a paint to external forces during construction and use, while thixotropy is a special type of rheology that describes the viscosity change of a paint at rest and after applying shear forces.
