Gelatins as rock analogs: A systematic study of their rheological and physical properties

In a laboratory model the behavior of the selected analog material must be properly scaled to nature. Here, we systematically investigate both rheological and physical properties of a wide range of gelatins as functions of temperature, composition, concentration, ageing and applied strain rate. Results show that gelatins' behavior changes gradually from purely elastic to visco-elasto-brittle to purely viscous (nonlinear) rheology going from the gel- to the sol-state. The rheological variability of gelatins appears promising for the potential use of these analog materials to simulate crustal and lithospheric rheological behavior. In particular, we found that pig skin 2.5 wt.% at 10 °C has the required rheological properties for a suitable experimental set-up to model crustal deformation.