hochviskosen

Hochviskosen is a German term used in technical contexts to describe the process by which a liquid becomes highly viscous. In English-language literature the verb is rarely used; the more common expression is to increase viscosity or to thicken. The corresponding noun Hochviskosität denotes the state of having high viscosity.

Derivation: The term combines hoch with viscosity; the construction is typical for German technical vocabulary. It is more commonly found in German-language sources than in English-language texts. In practice, hochviskosen can refer to deliberate formulation steps or to spontaneous changes during processing that raise a substance’s resistance to flow.

Mechanisms and methods: Hochviskosen can result from chemical cross-linking, polymer entanglement, gel formation, or the addition of thickening agents such as polymers or polysaccharides. Physical factors include temperature, shear, and solvent content. The process is typically characterized rheologically, with measurements of viscosity at defined shear rates, reported in units such as millipascal seconds (mPa·s) or centipoise (cP). The viscosity behavior may be time-dependent or non-Newtonian, depending on composition and history.

Examples: In food technology, Hochviskosen describes thickening sauces or syrups through starch gelatinization or gum additions. In materials science and oilfield applications, it refers to stabilizing or adjusting drilling fluids, polymers, or coatings. In adhesives and paints, it denotes thickening to achieve desirable application properties. See also rheology, viscosity, and thixotropy.