Emergence of rheological properties in lattice Boltzmann simulations of gyroid mesophases

¹ Centre for Computational Science, Department of Chemistry University College London - 20 Gordon Street, WC1H 0AJ, London, UK
² Institute for Computational Physics, University of Stuttgart Pfaffenwaldring 27, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany

Received: 28 June 2005
Accepted: 21 December 2005

Abstract

We use a lattice Boltzmann (LB) kinetic scheme for modelling amphiphilic fluids that correctly predicts rheological effects in flow. No macroscopic parameters are included in the model. Instead, three-dimensional hydrodynamic and rheological effects are emergent from the underlying particulate conservation laws and interactions. We report evidence of shear thinning and viscoelastic flow for a self-assembled gyroid mesophase. This purely kinetic approach is of general importance for the modelling and simulation of complex fluid flows in situations when rheological properties cannot be predicted a priori.