Droplet deformability and emulsion rheology: steady and dynamic behavior

Saiki Yasushi,Prestidge Clive A. The Korean Society of Rheology 2005 Korea-Australia rheology journal Vol.17 No.4

The static and dynamic rheological behavior of concentrated sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) stabilized, deformability controllable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) emulsions is reported and comparisons made with silica (hard sphere) suspensions. Steady-mode measurements indicate 'hard' (viscoelastic) droplets behave as hard spheres, while 'soft' (viscous) droplets induce structural flexibility of the emulsion against shear. Dynamic-mode measurements reveal that viscoelasticity of droplets provides the great magnitude of elasticity for the 'hard' emulsion, while formation of planar films between droplets is the origin of the elasticity of 'soft' emulsions. Combination of steady and dynamic rheological behavior has enabled depiction of droplet structure evolution in relation to the shear stress applied, especially by taking advantage of the normal force that reflects the transient deformation of droplets.

From rheometry to rheology

Sridhar, T. The Korean Society of Rheology 2000 Korea-Australia rheology journal Vol.12 No.1

Using a variety of examples from the recent literature on extensional flow of polymer solutions, this paper shows that simple constitutive equations are unable to capture the diversity of chain conformations in such flows. Such diversity is a feature of extensional flows and arises because deformation leads to significant chain extension. Substantial local extension appears even at low strains and the behaviour of these stretched out portions influences the dynamics of the chain and makes a dominant contribution to the stress. Both the distribution function and the chain conformation appear to follow different paths during stretching and relaxation. As a result the second moment of the distribution function does not contain enough information to correctly predict the dynamics. Resolution of this deficiency in simple constitutive models is one of the challenges for rheology.

Rheological characteristics of non-spherical graphite suspensions

Mustafa, Hiromoto Usui,Ishizuki, Masanari,Shinge, Ibuki,Suzuki, Hiroshi The Korean Society of Rheology 2003 Korea-Australia rheology journal Vol.15 No.1

Since the microstructure of functional thin films depends on the dispersion characteristics of dense slurry, it is important to control the agglomerative nature of slurries under processing. The present authors have been discussing the model prediction of agglomerative nature and local rate of agglomeration in dense suspensions. The experiments have been peformed under shear flow using the nearly spherical and oblate type graphite particles. In this study, the experiment has been conducted using water and glycerol as dispersion media. Stress control type rheometer was used to measure the slurry rheology. Local agglomeration of graphite particles has been predicted by using Usui's model. The experimental results show that both the shape and slurry processing method affect on the local dispersion condition. The agglomeration formed by oblate type graphite particles seems to be more difficult to break up than that of spherical particles.

Finite element analysis of planar 4:1 contraction flow with the tensor-logarithmic formulation of differential constitutive equations

Kwon Youngdon The Korean Society of Rheology 2004 Korea-Australia rheology journal Vol.16 No.4

High Deborah or Weissenberg number problems in viscoelastic flow modeling have been known formidably difficult even in the inertialess limit. There exists almost no result that shows satisfactory accuracy and proper mesh convergence at the same time. However recently, quite a breakthrough seems to have been made in this field of computational rheology. So called matrix-logarithm (here we name it tensor-logarithm) formulation of the viscoelastic constitutive equations originally written in terms of the conformation tensor has been suggested by Fattal and Kupferman (2004) and its finite element implementation has been first presented by Hulsen (2004). Both the works have reported almost unbounded convergence limit in solving two benchmark problems. This new formulation incorporates proper polynomial interpolations of the log­arithm for the variables that exhibit steep exponential dependence near stagnation points, and it also strictly preserves the positive definiteness of the conformation tensor. In this study, we present an alternative pro­cedure for deriving the tensor-logarithmic representation of the differential constitutive equations and pro­vide a numerical example with the Leonov model in 4:1 planar contraction flows. Dramatic improvement of the computational algorithm with stable convergence has been demonstrated and it seems that there exists appropriate mesh convergence even though this conclusion requires further study. It is thought that this new formalism will work only for a few differential constitutive equations proven globally stable. Thus the math­ematical stability criteria perhaps play an important role on the choice and development of the suitable con­stitutive equations. In this respect, the Leonov viscoelastic model is quite feasible and becomes more essential since it has been proven globally stable and it offers the simplest form in the tensor-logarithmic formulation.

Direct numerical simulations of viscoelastic turbulent channel flows at high drag reduction

Housiadas Kostas D.,Beris Antony N. The Korean Society of Rheology 2005 Korea-Australia rheology journal Vol.17 No.3

In this work we show the results of our most recent Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) of turbulent viscoelastic channel flow using spectral spatial approximations and a stabilizing artificial diffusion in the viscoelastic constitutive model. The Finite-Elasticity Non-Linear Elastic Dumbbell model with the Peterlin approximation (FENE-P) is used to represent the effect of polymer molecules in solution, The corresponding rheological parameters are chosen so that to get closer to the conditions corresponding to maximum drag reduction: A high extensibility parameter (60) and a moderate solvent viscosity ratio (0.8) are used with two different friction Weissenberg numbers (50 and 100). We then first find that the corresponding achieved drag reduction, in the range of friction Reynolds numbers used in this work (180-590), is insensitive to the Reynolds number (in accordance to previous work). The obtained drag reduction is at the level of $49\%\;and\;63\%$, for the friction Weissenberg numbers 50 and 100, respectively. The largest value is substantially higher than any of our previous simulations, performed at more moderate levels of viscoelasticity (i.e. higher viscosity ratio and smaller extensibility parameter values). Therefore, the maximum extensional viscosity exhibited by the modeled system and the friction Weissenberg number can still be considered as the dominant factors determining the levels of drag reduction. These can reach high values, even for of dilute polymer solution (the system modeled by the FENE-P model), provided the flow viscoelasticity is high, corresponding to a high polymer molecular weight (which translates to a high extensibility parameter) and a high friction Weissenberg number. Based on that and the changes observed in the turbulent structure and in the most prevalent statistics, as presented in this work, we can still rationalize for an increasing extensional resistance-based drag reduction mechanism as the most prevalent mechanism for drag reduction, the same one evidenced in our previous work: As the polymer elasticity increases, so does the resistance offered to extensional deformation. That, in turn, changes the structure of the most energy-containing turbulent eddies (they become wider, more well correlated, and weaker in intensity) so that they become less efficient in transferring momentum, thus leading to drag reduction. Such a continuum, rheology-based, mechanism has first been proposed in the early 70s independently by Metzner and Lamley and is to be contrasted against any molecularly based explanations.

Rheology and morphology of concentrated immiscible polymer blends

Mewis, Jan,Jansseune, Thomas,Moldenaers, Paula The Korean Society of Rheology 2001 Korea-Australia rheology journal Vol.13 No.4

The phase morphology is an important factor in the rheology of immiscible polymer blends. Through its size and shape, the interface between the two phases determines how the components and the interface itself will contribute to the global stresses. Rheological measurements have been used successfully in the past to probe the morphological changes in model blends, particularly for dilute systems. For more concentrated blends only a limited amount of systematic rheological data is available. Here, viscosities and first normal stress differences are presented for a system with nearly Newtonian components, the whole concentration range is covered. The constituent polymers are PDMS and PIB, their viscosity ratio can be changed by varying the temperature. The data reported here have been obtained at 287 K where the viscosities of the two components are identical. By means of relaxation experiments the measured stresses are decomposed into component and interfacial contributions. The concentration dependence is quite different for the two types of contribution. Except for the component contributions to the shear stresses there is no clear indication of the phase inversion. Plotting either the interfacial shear or normal stresses as a function of composition produces in some cases two maxima. The relaxation times of these stresses display a similar concentration dependence. Although the components have the same viscosity, the stress-component curves are not symmetrical with respect to the 50/50 blend. A slight elasticity of one of the components seems to be the cause of this effect. The data for the more concentrated blends at higher shear rates are associated with a fibrillar morphology.

Rheological anomalies of the poly(ethylene 2, 6-naphthalate) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) blends depending on the compositions

Lee, Hyang-Mok,Suh, Duck-Jong,Kil, Seung-Bum,Park, O-Ok,Yoon, Kwan-Han The Korean Society of Rheology 1999 Korea-Australia rheology journal Vol.11 No.3

The effects of the transreactions on the rheological properties have been found in the poly(ethylene 2, 6-naphthalate) (PEN) and poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) blends. The rheological properties were very much dependent on the blend compositions, which, in turn, were related to extent of the reactions. In particular, a blend with 50/50 wt% composition exhibits an unusual and remarkable decrease in complex viscosity and it may be related to the randomness of the copolymer structure through transreactions. It has been identified by investigating the extent of transreactions and block length of the copolymer from the (ethylene 2, 6-naphthalate) (EN) and (ethylene terephthalate) (ET) units from $^1{H}$ n.m.r. spectra.

Rheology of hydrophobic-alkali-soluble-emulsions (HASE) and the effects of surfactants

Lau, A.K.M.,Tiu, C.,Kealy, T.,Tam, K.C. The Korean Society of Rheology 2002 Korea-Australia rheology journal Vol.14 No.1

Steady and dynamic shear properties of two hydrophobically modified alkali soluble emulsions (HASE), NPJI and NPJ2, were experimentally investigated. At the same polymer concentration, NPJ1 is appreciably more viscous and elastic than NPJ2. The high hydrophobicity of NPJ1 allows hydrophobic associations and more junction sites to be created, leading to the formation of a network structure. Under shear deformation, NPJ1 exhibits shear-thinning behaviour as compared with Newtonian characteristics of NPJ2. NPJ1 and NPJ2 exhibit a very high and a low level of elasticity respectively over the frequency range tested. For NPJ1, a crossover frequency appears, which is shifted to lower frequencies and hence, longer relaxation times, as concentration increases. Three different surfactants anionic SDS, cationic CTAB, and non-ionic TX-100 were employed to examine the effects of surfactants on the rheology of HASE. Due to the different ionic behaviour of the surfactant, each type of surfactant imposed different electrostatic interactions on the two HASE polymers. In general, at low surfactant concentration, a gradual increase in viscosity is observed until a maximum is reached, beyond which a continuous reduction of viscosity ensues. Viscosity development is a combined result of HASE-surfactant interactions, accompanied by constant rearrangement of the hydrophobic associative junctions, and electrostatic interactions.

Suspensions and polymers - Common links in rheology

Harrison, G.,Franks, G.V.,Tirtaatmadja, V.,Boger, D.V. The Korean Society of Rheology 1999 Korea-Australia rheology journal Vol.11 No.3

Rheological techniques are frequently used to characterize particulate suspensions and polymer systems. Experimental data frequently show that similar trends and characteristics are found in both systems. Using common examples and illustrations of the rheological behaviour, we attempt to bring together these separate fields and investigate the common links in the different systems. In many cases the similar rheological behaviour observed in these different systems can be related to the same basic physical principles.

High-pressure rheology of polymer melts containing supercritical carbon dioxide

Lee Sang-Myung,Han Jae-Ro,Kim Kyung-Yl,Ahn Young-Joon,Lee Jae-Wook The Korean Society of Rheology 2006 Korea-Australia rheology journal Vol.18 No.2

Supercritical carbon dioxide ($scCO_2$) has advantages of being incorporated in polymer with high solubility and of being recovered easily by depressurizing. $scCO_2$ reduces the viscosity of polymer melt and it is expected to be use as a plasticizing agent. In this work, we studied on the effect of $scCO_2$ on the rheological properties of polymer melts during extrusion process. Slit die attached to twin screw extruder was used to measure the viscosity of polymer melts plasticized by supercritical $CO_2$. A gas injection system was devised to accurately meter the supercritical $CO_2$ into the extruder barrel. Measurements of pressure drop within the die, confirmed the presence of a one phase mixture and a fully developed flow during the measurements. The viscosity measurement of polypropylene was performed at experimental conditions of various temperatures, pressures and $CO_2$ concentrations. We observed that melt viscosity of polymer was dramatically reduced by $CO_2$ addition.