STUDIES ON THE ANOMALOUS VISCOSITY AND FLOW-BIREFRINGENCE OF PROTEIN SOLUTIONS : I. GENERAL BEHAVIOUR OF PROTEINS SUBJECTED TO SHEAR.

1. A coaxial viscosimeter which permits the simultaneous determination of relative and anomalous viscosity and of flow-birefringence is described. Flow-anomaly and flow-birefringence are regarded as characteristic of elongated micelles and molecules. 2. Such methods have been applied to dilute solutions of proteins. The conditions under which the coaxial (Couette) viscosimeter measures the viscosity of the bulk phase and the surface film phase respectively have been investigated and are described. 3. The general behaviour of protein solutions subjected to shear is summarised.