Colloidal suspensions are encountered in a multitude of natural, biological and industrially relevant products and processes. Understanding what affects the flow behaviour, or rheology, of colloid particles, and how these suspensions can be manipulated, is important for successful formulation of products such as paint, polymers, foods and pharmaceuticals. This book is the first devoted to the study of colloidal rheology in all its aspects. With material presented in an introductory manner, and complex mathematical derivations kept to a minimum, the reader will gain a strong grasp of the basic principles of colloid science and rheology. Beginning with purely hydrodynamic effects, the contributions of Brownian motion and interparticle forces are covered, before the reader is guided through specific problem areas, such as thixotropy and shear thickening; special classes of colloid suspensions are also treated. On line resources include: questions and solutions for self-study, updates, and links to further resources.
Flow can induce reversible and irreversible structural changes in dispersions. The analysis of flow effects on microstructure and rheology remains one of the challenging problems in colloid science. The rheological manifestation of flow-induced structural changes is a variable viscosity. If the changes are reversible and time dependent, the effect is called thixotropy. The basic elements of this concept are reviewed here, including its definition and the relation with nonlinear viscoelasticity. The omnipresence of thixotropy is illustrated with a wide range of examples from natural and manmade colloidal systems. Its various rheological manifestations are reviewed as well as possible measurement procedures. The microstructural changes due to flow are quite complex and not fully understood. Existing models for thixotropic suspension rheology are categorized and evaluated.
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