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Transition from Continuous to Discontinuous Shear Thickening: An Excluded-Volume Effect
Yasaman Madraki1, Guillaume Ovarlez2, Sarah Hormozi1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701-2979, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|September 22, 2018
Summary
Adding large spheres to shear thickening suspensions causes a transition from continuous to discontinuous flow. This occurs as large particles locally enhance the solid volume fraction, altering suspension behavior.
Area of Science:
- Rheology
- Materials Science
- Colloid Science
Background:
- Shear thickening suspensions exhibit increased viscosity under shear stress.
- Understanding transitions in suspension rheology is crucial for material processing and design.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and explain a novel mechanism for shear thickening suspension regime transition.
- To investigate the effect of incorporating large spheres into continuous shear thickening suspensions.
Main Methods:
- Experimental investigation of suspensions with varying concentrations of large spheres.
- Analysis of local solid volume fraction and excluded-volume effects.
Main Results:
- A new mechanism driving the continuous to discontinuous shear thickening transition was identified.
- Local enhancement of solid volume fraction in the interstitial matrix was observed due to large particles.
- Excluded-volume shells around large particles contribute to the observed transition.
Conclusions:
- The addition of high concentrations of large spheres can induce a continuous to discontinuous shear thickening transition.
- Local microstructural changes, specifically enhanced solid volume fraction, are key to this transition.
- This finding offers new insights into controlling the rheological properties of complex fluids.
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