This is explained by María Jesús Hernández, Professor of Physics at the Universitat de València and organiser of this edition of IBEREO in Valencia together with Teresa Sanz and Ana Salvador, researchers of the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology of CSIC, on behalf of the ‘Grupo Español de Reología (GER)’ of the ‘Reales Sociedades Españolas de Física y de Química’ (RSEF and RSEQ). 

As Mª Jesús Hernández explains, besides visualising and promoting the applications of rheology from Valencia in the food and pharmaceutical industry - areas in which the organizers have their main range of action- the congress will also address the treatment of elasticity, viscosity, texture and consistency of different materials and how they can be applied in the development of new products. 

Rheology and the treatment of dysphagia
Some of the most highlighted lectures are, among others, the one from Críspulo Gallegos, R & D Director of 'Complex Formulations' of Fresenius Kabi Deutschland GmbH (Germany), which will address the matter of how the study of rheological behaviour of food can help in the treatment of dysphagia, an alteration of swallowing (caused by aging, neural diseases or throat cancer) that affects one million people in our country. 

Besides this application in the food behaviour, rheology is also a key to address the characterisation of new pharmaceutical and cosmetic products as well as diverse materials such as paints, ceramics, plastics, pavements or lubricants, among others. These matters will be addressed during the three days of the conference, which will also embrace rheology experts like Leonard Sagis, researcher from the Materials Department of the ETH of Zurich, the polymer and plastics expert Antxon Santamaría from the University of the Basque Country, Isabel Sousa, expert in food technology from the University of Lisbon and José Muñoz from the University of Sevilla, who will talk about ecological emulsions.

Rheology’s applications to industry
The conference will conclude with a round table where representatives of companies and research institutes hired by companies will comment on their experiences and discuss the undeniable and the important relationship between rheology and industry.

In addition to these aspects, there will also be presented leading research advances such as the viscoelasticity in large deformations, rheology of surface films or the study of 'magnetoreological fluids'.

This is the 6th in a series of conferences organised every two years alternately in Spain and Portugal by the ‘Sociedade Portuguesa de Reología (SPR)’ and by the ‘Grupo Español de Reología (GER)’. In adittion to Spanish and Portuguese researchers, a large amount of researchers from other European and American countries attended the meeting.

More information and schedule: 

http://www.ibereo2017.com/