The behavior of capillary suspensions at diverse length scales: From single capillary bridges to bulk

Liquid-liquid-solid systems are becoming increasingly common in everyday life with many possible applications. Here, we focus on a special case of such liquid-liquid-solid systems, namely, capillary suspensions. These capillary suspensions originate from particles that form a network based on capillary forces and are typically composed of solids in a bulk liquid with an added secondary liquid. The structure of particle networks based on capillary bridges possesses unique properties compared with networks formed via other attractive interactions where these differences are inherently related to the properties of the capillary bridges, such as bridge breaking and coalescence between adjacent bridges. Thus, to tailor the mechanical properties of capillary suspensions to specific requirements, it is important to understand the influences on different length scales ranging from the dynamics of the bridges with varying external stimuli to the often heterogeneous network structure.     

Rheology of poly(methyl methacrylate-<Emphasis Type="Italic">co</Emphasis>-styrene) particles suspended in water: effects of electrostatic surface layer

 Linear and nonlinear viscoelastic properties were examined for aqueous suspensions of monodisperse poly(methyl methacrylate-co-styrene) (MS) particles having the radius a ₀ =45 nm and the volume fractions φ=0.428−0.448. These particles had surface charges and the resulting electrostatic surface layer (electric double layer) had a thickness of t_s=5.7 nm. At low frequencies in the linear viscoelastic regime, the MS particles behaved approximately as the Brownian hard particles having an effective radius a _eff=a ₀ + t_s, and the dependence of their zero-shear viscosity η₀ on an effective volume fraction φ_eff (={a _eff/a ₀}³φ) agreed with the φ dependence of η₀ of ideal hard-core silica suspensions. In a range of φ_eff < 0.63, this φ_eff dependence was well described by the Brady theory. However, the φ_eff dependence of the high-frequency plateau modulus was weaker and the terminal relaxation mode distribution was narrower for the MS suspensions than for the hard-core suspensions. This result suggested that the electrostatic surface layer of the MS particles was soft and penetrable (at high frequencies). In fact, this “softness” was more clearly observed in the nonlinear regime: the nonlinear damping against step strain was weaker and the thinning under steady shear was less significant for the MS suspension than for the hard-core silica suspensions having the same φ_eff. These weaker nonlinearities of the concentrated MS particles with φ_eff∼ 0.63 (maximum volume fraction for random packing) suggested that the surface layers of those particles were mutually penetrating to provide the particles with a rather large mobility. Received: 10 July 2001 Accepted: 2 November 2001     

An analytical solution for the velocity and shear rate distribution of non-ideal Bingham fluids in concentric cylinder viscometers

An analytical solution is presented for the calculation of the flow field in a concentric cylinder viscometer of non-ideal Bingham-fluids, described by the Worrall-Tuliani rheological model. The obtained shear rate distribution is a function of the a priori unknown rheological parameters. It is shown that by applying an iterative procedure experimental data can be processed in order to obtain the proper shear rate correction and the four rheological parameters of the Worrall-Tuliani model as well as the yield surface radius. A comparison with Krieger's correction method is made. Rheometrical data for dense cohesive sediment suspensions have been reviewed in the light of this new method. For these suspensions velocity profiles over the gap are computed and the shear layer thicknesses were found to be comparable to visual observations. It can be concluded that at low rotation speeds the actually sheared layer is too narrow to fullfill the gap width requirement for granular suspensions and slip appears to be unavoidable, even when the material is sheared within itself. The only way to obtain meaningfull measurements in a concentric cylinder viscometer at low shear rates seems to be by increasing the radii of the viscometer. Some dimensioning criteria are presented.Notation A, B Integration constants - C Dimensionless rotation speed = µ/_y - c = 2µ - d = ₀ ²–2c_y - f() = (–₀)²+2c(–_y) - r Radius - r _b Bob radius - r _c Cup radius - r _y Yield radius - r ₀ Stationary surface radius - r Rotating Stationary radius - Y ₀ Shear rate parameter = /µ Greek letters Shear rate - = (r _y /r _b )²– 1 - µ Bingham viscosity - µ₀ Initial differential viscosity - µ µ₀-µ - Rotation speed - Angular velocity - Shear stress - _b Bob shear stress - _B Bingham stress - _y (True) yield stress - ₀ Stress parameter = _B +µ Y ₀ - _B - _y      

槽道纤维悬浮流稳定性的实验研究

对槽道纤维悬浮流进行染色线流动显示和流场PIV实验测量,实验中选用的是直径为20μm、长径比为20～100的尼龙纤维。PIV2100处理器被用来加工处理采集的实验数据。槽道长度1.5m,横截面为矩形,尺寸为105×19mm。实验结果说明在Reynolds数相同的情况下,纤维悬浮流比对应的牛顿流更不容易失稳,悬浮流中的纤维起着抑制流场失稳的作用,而且随着纤维体积分数和长径比的增大,抑制失稳的程度也提高。扰动衰减率的最小值随纤维体积分数和长径比的增加而增大,这一效果在大Re数时更明显。     

Dynamic melt flow of nanocomposites based on poly-ɛ-caprolactam

 The dynamic flow behavior of polyamide-6 (PA-6) and a nanocomposite (PNC) based on it was studied. The latter resin contained 2 wt% of organoclay. The two materials were blended in proportions of 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 wt% PNC. The dynamic shear rheological properties of well-dried specimens were measured under N₂ at T=240 °C, frequency ω=0.1–100 rad/s, and strains γ=10 and 40%. At constant T, γ, and ω the time sweeps resulted in significant increases of the shear moduli. The γ and ω scans showed a complex rheological behavior of all clay-containing specimens. At γ=10% the linear viscoelasticity was observed for all compositions only at ω>1 rad/s, while at γ=40% only for 0 and 25 wt% of PNC. However, the effect was moderate, namely decreasing G′ and G′′ (at ω=6.28 rad/s; γ=50%) by 15 and 7.5%, respectively. For compositions containing >25 wt% PNC two types of non-linearity were detected. At ω≤ω_c=1.4 ± 0.2 rad/s yield stress provided evidence of a 3-D structure. At ω > ω_c, G′ and G′′ were sensitive to shear history – the effect was reversible. From the frequency scans at ω > ω_c the zero-shear relative viscosity vs concentration plot was constructed. The initial slope gave the intrinsic viscosity from which the aspect ratio of organoclay particles, p=287 ± 9 was calculated, in agreement with the value calculated from the reduced permeability data, p=286. Received: 24 May 2001 Accepted: 27 August 2001     

电流变液体黏性变化趋势的试验研究

以微观试验和流变性能试验为手段，分别研究零电场下和在电场作用下的电流变液体黏性变化规律．研究结果表明：零电场下电流变液体的黏性与Krieger-Dougherty公式具有很好的拟合效果，其中逾渗临界值强依赖于悬浮液体中固体颗粒的性质并随工作温度变化．在电场作用下，电流变悬浮液体的黏度随剪切速率的变化规律分为3个阶段：即呈线性的启动段、非线性的幂定律模型流动段和宾汉模型流动段．研究结果为电流变效应工程应用提供依据．     

Rheological aspects of dense lignite–water suspensions; structure development on consecutive flow loops

Aspects of dense lignite–water slurries (LWS) rheology were investigated using controlled stress and controlled strain rheometers with parallel disks and Couette geometries. During the preparation of the slurries, the achieved solids volume fractions were up to 0.425 and the particle size distributions were polydispersed with sizes up to 300 μm. In the ascending parts of consecutive flow loops, a slope transition of the flow curve was observed and studied in relation to the solids volume fraction. The obtained results with the different geometries and rheometers were qualitatively the same. By following the model proposed by Cheng (Rheol Acta 42:372–382, 2003) for thixotropic fluids, and taking into account the yield stress appearance, a suitable correlation for LWS is proposed, which is consistent with the experimental flow curves.     

On the rheology of a dilute suspension of rigid spheres in a weakly viscoelastic matrix fluid

The complete solution for the pressure and the velocity field up to O(De) of a dilute suspension of neutrally buoyant, non-Brownian rigid spheres suspended in an unbounded, weakly viscoelastic matrix fluid, where is the solid volume fraction and De is the Deborah number of the matrix fluid, is presented. The spheres are subjected to an arbitrary linear velocity profile at infinity. The analytical solution is used for the prediction of the bulk stress, and specifically for the calculation of the first and the second normal stress differences in simple shear and uniaxial elongational flows. A comparison of the results with available values reported in the literature is also offered. The final expressions for the bulk normal stress differences in shear and uniaxial elongational flow fully agree with those reported earlier by Greco et al., J. Non-Newton. Fluid Mech., 147 (2007) 1–10.     

Torsion balances with fibres of zero length

Torsion balances have good immunity to tilt and low rotational stiffness. However precise control of the position of the suspended torsion ‘bob’ is difficult in the presence of ground vibrations and tilt and this is a limiting factor in applications where Casimir forces or putative non-Newtonian short-range forces are being measured. We describe how the desirable characteristics of torsion balances can be reproduced in a rigid body that is suspended using applied forces rather than a torsion fibre. The suspension system can then provide a more precise control of the degrees of freedom of the suspended body. We apply these ideas to a superconducting levitated torsion balance, developed by the authors, and a generic electrostatic suspension. We present results of preliminary experiments that provide support for our analyses.     

Simulations of thixotropic liquids

In thixotropic liquids the rheological properties depend on the liquid’s deformation history. Clay suspensions (as encountered in oil sands mining) are a prominent example. Activated clay particles form a network. As a consequence of (ionic) transport limitations, the network is not an instantaneous feature; it takes time to build up, and also to break down, the latter as a result of deformation in the liquid. In this paper a procedure for detailed simulations of flow of viscous thixotropic liquids is outlined. The local viscosity of the liquid relates to the level of integrity of the network. The time-dependence of the liquid’s rheology is due to the finite rate with which the network in the liquid builds up or breaks down. This concept has been incorporated in a lattice-Boltzmann discretization of the flow equations. With this methodology the way thixotropic liquids are mobilized in mixing tanks and the drag force experienced by dense assemblies of coarse particles (e.g. sand) in thixotropic liquids have been studied.