Feet or Slump on Sides of Finished Goods nging Caued bygh Yield Value Thin corners Pattern Holding on Candies Shear Thickening An increase in viscosity at medium to high shear rates.Usually caused by suspended particles aggregating/colliding or polymers becoming more entangled. 1212 Shear Thickening An increase in viscosity at medium to high shear rates. Usually caused by suspended particles aggregating/colliding or polymers becoming more entangled. At high volume fractions, sample may expand in volume [dilatancy] which is a special case of shear thickening. The most common example is of damp sand on a beach lightening when stepped on