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.     

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.     

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.     

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      

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     

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     

Bioactive Sol-Gel Coatings for Orthopaedic Prosthesis

Sol-gel materials have been proposed in last years for clinical applications. In this work, bioactive sol-gel coatings were prepared from suspensions of up to 25% wt. of bioactive glass (CaO·SiO₂·P₂O₅) particles in a hybrid sol obtained from TEOS and MTES. Thick dip-coatings showed in vitro bioactivity after a few days, but glass-particles dissolution promotes a slight reduction in the corrosion resistance. In order to overpass this problem, a two-stage sol-gel coating system that includes a first SiO₂ hybrid film, acting as barrier against corrosion, and an external bioactive layer from glass particle suspension is proposed. The obtained samples revealed significant improvement in their electrochemical behaviour, and showed in vitro bioactivity.     

Modulation of homogeneous turbulence seeded with finite size bubbles or particles

The dynamics of homogeneous, isotropic turbulence seeded with finite sized particles or bubbles is investigated in a series of numerical simulations, using the force-coupling method for the particle phase and low wavenumber forcing of the flow to sustain the turbulence. Results are given on the modulation of the turbulence due to massless bubbles, neutrally buoyant particles and inertial particles of specific density 1.4 at volumetric concentrations of 6%. Buoyancy forces due to gravity are excluded to emphasize finite size and inertial effects for the bubbles or particles and their interactions with the turbulence. Besides observing the classical entrapment of bubbles and the expulsion of inertial particles by vortex structures, we analyze the Lagrangian statistics for the velocity and acceleration of the dispersed phase. The turbulent fluctuations are damped at mid-range wavenumbers by the bubbles or particles while the small-scale kinetic energy is significantly enhanced. Unexpectedly, the modulation of turbulence depends only slightly on the dispersion characteristics (bubble entrapment in vortices or inertial sweeping of the solid particles) but is closely related to the stresslet component (finite size effect) of the flow disturbances. The pivoting wavenumber characterizing the transition from damped to enhanced energy content is shown to vary with the size of the bubbles or particles. The spectrum for the energy transfer by the particle phase is examined and the possibility of representing this, at large scales, through an additional effective viscosity is discussed.     

A structural model for the time-dependent recovery of mineral suspensions

A thixotropic recovery model has been developed that is based on consideration of the microstructural interactions that occur between particles within a suspension particle network. The model is based on Smoluchowski coagulation rate theory, utilizing second order kinetics to describe the thixotropic recovery behavior. The model is applied to Na-montmorillonite-based coal tailings suspensions and is also shown to be applicable to brown coal and bauxite residue suspensions. The model describes all the recovery data well, especially at intermediate to large recovery times. The recovery of the montmorillonite suspensions at short times was faster than predicted, indicating the existence of additional factors in early-time structure development. The discrepancy may have also been due to the highly anisotropic nature of the clay platelets. The recovery rate constant, K _r , increases with increasing solids concentration (for constant surface chemical conditions) as would be expected from the basis of the model. Received: 22 September 2000 Accepted: 16 March 2001