Highly Anisotropic Vorticity Aligned Structures in a Shear Thickening Attractive Colloidal System

TL;DR

This paper investigates the formation of vorticity aligned cylindrical structures in a shear thickening colloidal system, revealing their association with shear thickening transitions and transient flow behaviors.

Contribution

It uncovers the presence of anisotropic vorticity aligned structures linked to shear thickening, highlighting their role in flow dynamics of attractive colloidal systems.

Findings

Vorticity aligned cylindrical flocs form during shear thickening.

These structures are associated with both steady and transient flow responses.

They appear at high shear rates during secondary shear thickening.

Abstract

Vorticity aligned cylindrical flocs of carbon black particles are coincident with a primary shear thickening transition in steady flow and also appear as transient structures in the flow response of gels produced by a secondary shear thickening at high shear rates.