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E. A. Kirsanov, Yu. N. Timoshin

Author affiliations
State University of Humanities and Social Studies,
30 Zelyonaya St., Kolomna, 140411, Moscow Region, Russia
E-mail: Kirsanov47@mail.ru

Abstract
We have considered the features of shear thickening, that is, the phenomenon of increase in the suspension viscosity with increasing the shear rate after exceeding the critical shear rate. We have shown that viscosity curves (flow curves) are well approximated using the generalized flow equation on the interval before the onset of shear thickening and on the interval after the completion of the shear thickening.
We used published experimental results for structured systems: an aqueous suspension of corn starch, a suspension of carbon black particles in tetradecane, a suspension of particles of polymethylmethacrylate in polyethylene glycol, colloidal dispersion of silicon nanoparticles in polyethylene glycol. After the phenomenon of shear thickening is complete, a "flow spurt" is sometimes observed. The value of the critical shear rate of the transition from shear thinning to shear thickening decreases with increasing concentration of the dispersed phase. Within the framework of the structural rheological model, the phenomenon of shear thickening is interpreted as a transition from one flow regime to another regime, associated with an increase of the engagement force between particles.

Keywords: structural rheological model, shear thickening, suspensions