Apparent viscosity | EPFL Graph Search

In fluid mechanics, apparent viscosity (sometimes denoted η) is the shear stress applied to a fluid divided by the shear rate: :\eta = \frac{\tau}{\dot\gamma} For a Newtonian fluid, the apparent viscosity is constant, and equal to the Newtonian viscosity of the fluid, but for non-Newtonian fluids, the apparent viscosity depends on the shear rate. Apparent viscosity has the SI derived unit Pa·s (Pascal-second), but the centipoise is frequently used in practice: (1 mPa·s = 1 cP). Application A single viscosity measurement at a constant speed in a typical viscometer is a measurement of the instrument viscosity of a fluid (not the apparent viscosity). In the case of non-Newtonian fluids, measurement of apparent viscosity without knowledge of the shear rate is of limited value: the measurement cannot be compared to other measurements if the speed and geometry of the two instruments is not identical. An apparent viscosity that is rep

Self-cleaning and wear-resistant polymer nanocomposite surfaces

Feyza Karasu Kiliç, Yves Leterrier, Luca Alois Egon Müller

Superhydrophobic self-cleaning and wear-resistant nanocomposite surfaces were produced by mimicking the hierarchical structure of the lotus leaf using a combination of rapid self-assembly and a UV nano-imprint lithography (UVNIL) process with a silicone master. Two different acrylate formulations containing acrylated silica nanoparticles and an acrylated silicone surfactant were used. The presence of the silicone master did not suppress the spontaneous migration of the surfactant to the polymer surface, which increased its hydrophobic character. Adding acrylated silica particles considerably increased the viscosity of the acrylate suspensions and led to a shear-thinning behavior. However the particles did not prevent the fast migration process of the surfactant and further increased the hydrophobicity of the material, due to increased nanoscale roughness of the nanocomposite surface. The largest increase of hydrophobicity was achieved for the UVNIL printed lotus surfaces using the acrylate formulation with lowest viscosity. These surfaces became superhydrophobic for the highest investigated concentration of silica. These nanocomposite lotus surfaces were, in addition, very hard with a microhardness above 400 MPa and particularly wear-resistant, and were self-cleaning with respect to hydrophobic contamination.

2018

Shear Thickening Fluid Impregnated Foam Composites for Vibration Control and Impact Protection

Mathieu Soutrenon

Highly concentrated suspensions of silica particles present shear thickening properties, shifting from a low to a high viscosity state, instantly and reversibly at a critical shear rate. Their viscosity increases by up to 3 orders of magnitude, changing from a honey-like liquid to a brittle solid material. This sharp rise in viscosity is associated with a large absorption of energy that can be used in damping applications. These shear thickening fluids (STF) are among the few passive materials that can simultaneously bring both an increase in damping and in stiffness properties. In mechanical design, this leads potentially to a weight reduction of the overall system. This thesis work is aimed to develop and test a composite material solution for vibration control and impact protection, using STF as the damping element. A main challenge was to overcome the fact that STF are liquid at rest, and very sensitive to their environment. The proposed damping material was therefore constituted of foam impregnated with STF and encapsulated with silicone (STF/foam). A comparison of properties with other damping materials such as Smactane®was emphasized along the thesis. Storage and processing conditions of STF constituted of highly concentrated suspensions were shown to affect their rheological properties similarly to other sensitive parameters such as particle concentration. Rigorous processing methods were thus required to produce STF with defined and stable rheological properties. The use of sonication was preferred to disperse the aggregates of particles in concentrated colloidal suspensions due to the packing of the dry powder. Contact with air or humidity deteriorates the shear thickening properties of STF. Storage of STF in a freezer at −24 ◦C or under nitrogen prevents this. The use of a physical barrier to air and humidity such as silicone to protect STF is also shown to greatly reduce the ageing problem. The energy dissipated during a cyclic strain cycle was used as a measure of the damping property of the STF, and compared to that of other materials. It was measured with dynamic rheological measurements performed on suspensions with variations of particle concentration, size and test frequency. STF were shown to dissipate a large amount of energy during their transition, which increases with the increase of frequency and particle concentration and decrease with the increase of particle size. In specific cases of large strain amplitude, they potentially dissipate more energy than viscoelastic materials such as rubber. An open cell melamine resin foam was used as a lightweight scaffold to provide a three dimensional structure to the STF. The foam distributes the load and locally shears the STF. The shape of the foam is easily adjustable. To impregnate the foam with the STF, a system similar to vacuum infusion was used. The foam was placed under vacuum in a mold and the STF heated at 70 ◦C to reduce its viscosity and shear thickening properties was sucked in the foam with the depressurization. The STF/foam systems were then encapsulated in silicone to protect the STF/foam damping pads from contamination and avoid outgassing. During compression tests at low frequencies and large deformations, we demonstrated that STF could be activated in this type of structure, with mechanical properties comparable to those of a viscous honey-like fluid at rest and silicone when the STF is in the solid state. The same behavior was observed during impact solicitations. STF/foam presents a very low coefficient of restitution and absorbs the shock wave associated with impacts. Shock tests done separately confirm the shock absorption properties of STF/foam even if the STF is not activated. The combination of mechanical and damping properties of the foam/STF systems remain lower than for very high performance damping materials like Smactane®. The reasons are their low mechanical compression and shear properties at rest and the need to overcome a threshold strain or stress to activate the STF. However, the large dissimilarity between the states before and after the transition makes these materials interesting for impact or large strain amplitude applications such as sole for running shoes or several space structures.

EPFL2013

Impact properties of shear thickening fluid impregnated foams

Véronique Michaud, Mathieu Soutrenon

Concentrated colloidal suspensions of silica particles in polyethylene glycol exhibit a shear thickening behavior: above a critical shear rate in a confined environment, they show a steep increase of viscosity. This reversible transition from a low to a high viscosity state is associated with a large energy absorption that could be harnessed for impact protection. As these suspensions are liquid at rest, however, shear thickening fluids (STFs) are difficult to use in practical applications. Furthermore, their specific rheological properties exist within a narrow range of concentration, so they tend to disappear when the material is in contact with air and humidity. In this work, a soft foam scaffold was impregnated with STF to provide a three-dimensional shape to the assembly at rest, while a silicone was cast around it to serve as a physical barrier to the external environment. A method to quickly impregnate the foam was proposed. Impact tests were carried out on the STF/foam/silicone composite pads using a free fall impact tower. Compared to rubber or pure silicone, larger energy absorptions, up to 85%, were observed, which could be repeated for multiple impacts. The transmitted shock waves were also reduced, showing the potential of this system for impact protection of structures.

Institute of Physics2014

Shear Thickening Fluid Impregnated Foam Composites for Vibration Control and Impact Protection

Mathieu Soutrenon

EPFL2013