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     

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。     

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.     

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．     

Anomalous rolling of spheres down an inclined plane

A sphere in air will roll down a plane that is tilted away from the vertical. The only couple acting about the point of contact between the sphere and the plane is due to the component of the weight of the sphere along the plane, provided that air friction is negligible. If on the other hand the sphere is immersed in a liquid, hydrodynamic forces will enter into the couples that turn the sphere, and the rotation of the sphere can be anomalous, i.e., as if rolling up the plane while it falls. In this paper we shall show that anomalous rolling is a characteristic phenomenon that can be observed in every viscoelastic liquid tested so far. Anomalous rolling is normal for hydrodynamically levitated spheres, both in Newtonian and viscoelastic liquids. Normal and anomalous rolling are different names for dry and hydrodynamic rolling. Spheres dropped at a vertical wall in Newtonian liquids are forced into anomalous rotation and are pushed away from the wall while in viscoelastic liquids, they are forced into anomalous rotation, but are pushed toward the wall. If the wall is inclined and the fluid is Newtonian, the spheres will rotate normally for dry rolling, but the same spheres rotate anomalously in viscoelastic liquids when the angle of inclination from the vertical is less than some critical value. The hydrodynamic mechanisms underway in the settling of circular particles in a Newtonian fluid at a vertical wall are revealed by an exact numerical simulation based on a finite-element solution of the Navier-Stokes equations and Newton's equations of motion for a rigid body.     

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     

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.     

Monitoring of structures or mechanical components by an acoustoultrasonic signature technique

This paper describes a methodology for adapting the acoustoultrasonic technique for use in monitoring structures or mechanical components. As a practical example, the adaptation of the technique for monitoring fatigue tests on front suspension arms is considered. From this particular example, it will be shown that the procedure is suitable for application to more general cases. The results of a number of fatigue tests carried out at the Fiat Research Center on a typical component test rig are also presented.     

Transport and harvesting of suspended particles using modulated ultrasound

Polystyrene particles of 9 μm diameter were acoustically concentrated along the axis of a water-filled cylindrical waveguide containing a 3 MHz standing wave field. Modulation of the acoustic field enabled transport of the concentrated particles in the axial direction. Four modulations were investigated; 1, a fixed frequency difference introduced between two transducers; 2, ramping the transducer frequency; 3, tone burst, i.e. sound that is pulsed on and off, allowing intermittent sedimentation under gravity; and 4, switching the sound off to allow continuous sedimentation. The most efficient transport (leaving the fewest particles in suspension) of clumps to one end of the container was achieved with method 1 above. In this system the maximum speed of transport of the axial clumps was 24 mm s^-1. A theory developed here for the transport of particles in a pseudo (i.e. slowly moving) standing wave field predicts an upper limit, which increases with particle size, for the speed of an entrained body. For a single 9 μm diameter particle in a field with a spatial peak pressure amplitude of 0.4 MPa this speed would be 0.5 mm s^-1. The higher experimental speeds observed here emphasize the value of acoustically concentrating particles into relatively large clumps prior to initiating transport.