The rheological behavior of Apis mellifera honey produced in the State of Piauí, in the Brazilian semi-arid, obtained with predominance of Serjania glabrata flowers was studied. The samples were collected in the year 2000 by beekeepers and associations and cooperatives of beekeepers in the area covered by the municipal districts of Picos, Itainópolis, Vera Mendes and Isaías Coelho. The samples were centrifuged, filtered, decanted and the rheological measures at temperatures of 20 to 40 ºC using a Brookfield Viscometer RVT model were made. The readings of rotation speed and torque were transformed in shear rate and shear stress values. The data of shear rate and shear stress were fitted by the potential Law and Herschel-Bulkley models. The samples presented pseudoplastic behavior. The potential and Herschel-Bulkley models fitted the experimental results appropriately. The increase in temperature reduced the viscosity by approximately 80%. The apparent viscosity values fitted well with an Arrhenius type equation.
Apis mellifera; beekeeping; viscosity
