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The influence of flow confinement on the rheological properties of complex fluids

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Abstract

The rheological properties of plastic and viscoplastic complex fluids have been investigated using constant velocity squeeze flow rheometry at small gaps in order to examine the influence of the resulting flow confinement. The fluids investigated were aqueous carbopol suspensions and three commercial products (Tesco English mustard, Tesco value lemon curd and Heinz tomato ketchup (HTK)). The bulk rheological properties were measured using parallel plate rheometry. Rough plates were used to eliminate wall slip in both rheometric configurations. The commercial products are Herschel–Bulkley fluids and, for gaps less than a critical value of ~200 μm, the yield stresses tended to large values. There was a corresponding trend to small values for the flow consistencies except for HTK, which has a negligibly small bulk value. A possible explanation is that the micro-structural correlation lengths of these fluids are of the order of that of the critical separation. The yield stresses of the carbopol suspensions also increased sharply at the critical gap but then decreased gradually with decreasing gap separation. The transition may correspond to the formation of a jammed state with the subsequent plastic flow at smaller gap separations arising from localised shearing.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the financial support to YY from School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham and Unilever Corporate Research, UK.

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Author notes

  1. J. R. Stokes

    Present address: Division of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Sharnbrook, Brisbane Qld, 4072, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK

    Y. Yan, Z. Zhang & M. J. Adams

  2. School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK

    D. Cheneler

  3. Unilever Corporate Research, Colworth Science Park, Sharnbrook, Bedford, MK44 1LQ, UK

    J. R. Stokes

Authors
  1. Y. Yan
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  2. Z. Zhang
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  3. D. Cheneler
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  4. J. R. Stokes
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  5. M. J. Adams
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Correspondence to M. J. Adams.

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Yan, Y., Zhang, Z., Cheneler, D. et al. The influence of flow confinement on the rheological properties of complex fluids. Rheol Acta 49, 255–266 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00397-009-0401-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00397-009-0401-9

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