Desktop Computer Based Collection and Analysis of Creep‐compliance Data on Fluid Foods

In a creep‐compliance test, the strain due to an imposed stress is recorded as a function of time. Subsequently, the strain is converted to creep‐compliance and the rheological parameters: compliances, retardation times, and viscosities are evaluated by a graphical method suggested by Inokuchi. A Macintosh Plus microcomputer was programmed in Basic language to collect time‐strain data from a Deer Rheometer III. A Fortran language program was written first to compute creep‐compliance from strain and subsequently to estimate rheological parameters using a nonlinear parameter estimation subroutine. Initial values for the nonlinear analysis were estimated by the computer program by means of a modified Inokuchi's method.