Abstract
The time-dependent velocity profiles in a Couette geometry of a soft glass made of colloidal star polymers suspended in squalene is presented. A shearbanded structure, hinted at by conventional rheological methods, is unequivocally confirmed with the local shear-rate of the low shear-rate branch below the measurable threshold. The evolution of the extent of the 'zero-shear-band' band is tracked and found to follow a Gompertz-like growth. The effects of altering shear rate, waiting time and temperature on the Gompertz fit parameters are investigated and show, among other relations, that the growth rate of the zero-shear band is proportional to the inverse of the applied shear rate, the time taken to reach unit strain.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 735-745 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Rheologica Acta |
| Volume | 48 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2009 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Flow visualisation
- Flow-sensitive viscosity
- Shear-induced structure formation
- Soft solids
- Start-up experiment
- Steady shear
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics