Effect of Fat Content and Temperature on Viscosity in Relation to Pumping Requirements of Fluid Milk Products

Viscosities of commercial samples of skim milk, 1% fat milk, 2% fat milk, whole milk, half and half, and whipping cream were measured in a temperature range of 0 to 30°C by a coaxial viscometer.Viscosity varied exponentially with temperature and linearly with fat content of milk.Viscosity for the fat and temperature range measured varied from 1 to 60 centipoise.Density of these products also was determined by vibrational densitometer.Density ranged from 990 to 1035 kg/m 3. The following equation was developed for the relationship between viscosity (~), fat (F), and temperature (T): In ~1 = -8.9+ .1 F + 2721.5/T.The equation was utilized to calculate pumping requirements of milk with various fat contents and at different temperatures.