Abstract
The rheological properties of linseed mucilage from different flax (Linum usitatissimum) varieties have been measured as well as the polysaccharide content and composition. The viscosity varied over a wide range from 0.02 to 0.28 Pas for 1% solutions. It increased with increasing concentration and decreased with increasing shear rate. Depending on the variety and the concentration, the mucilage could behave like a viscous fluid, viscoelastic fluid or as a nearly elastic body. Both the elasticity and the viscosity increased with increasing proportion of xylose residues and decreasing proportion of uronic acids in the polysaccharides.