Scalar field inflation and Shan-Chen fluid models

A scalar field equivalent to a nonideal "dark energy fluid" obeying a Shan-Chen-like equation of state is used as the background source of a flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmological spacetime to describe the inflationary epoch of our Universe. Within the slow-roll approximation, a number of interesting features are presented, including the possibility to fulfill current observational constraints as well as a graceful exit mechanism from the inflationary epoch.