Rheology 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 paint to external forces and the change of its internal structure during construction and use. The rheology of a paint describes how it changes under different shear forces or stresses. Rheology is the study of the deformation and flow behavior of matter.

The difference between rheology and thixotropy of paint

Thixotropy is a special type of rheology, which refers to the fact that a paint has a high viscosity at rest, but when shear force or stress is applied, its viscosity is significantly reduced, thus making the paint easier to flow. When shear force is applied, the paint will gradually return to the high viscosity in the static state. Thixotropy can be viewed as a reversible time dependence because the viscosity of the paint will recover over time.

In brief, rheology refers to the response of a coating to external forces during construction and use, while thixotropy is a special type of rheology that describes the change in viscosity of the coating at rest and after the application of shear forces.