Two-state shear diagrams for complex fluids in shear flow

Department of Physics and Astronomy and Polymer IRC, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT, UK

Received: 14 June 1999
Accepted: 1 September 1999

Abstract

The possible "phase diagrams” for shear-induced phase transitions between two phases are collected. We consider shear-thickening and shear-thinning fluids, under conditions of both common strain rate and common stress in the two phases, and present the four fundamental shear stress vs. strain rate curves and discuss their concentration dependence. We outline how to construct more complicated phase diagrams, discuss in which class various experimental systems fall, and sketch how to reconstruct the phase diagrams from rheological measurements.