Rheology

is the study of the flow of matter, primarily in the liquid state, but also as 'soft solids' or solids under conditions in which they respond with plastic flow rather than deforming elastically in response to an applied force. It applies to substances which have a complex molecular structure, such as muds, sludges, suspensions, polymers

Rheology
Newtonian fluids can be characterized by a single coefficient of viscosity for a specific temperature. The viscosity will change with temperature but not to strain rate or flow rate In non newtonian fluids the viscosity changes with the strain rate (or relative velocity of flow) Rheology accounts for the behaviour of non-Newtonian fluids, by characterizing the minimum number of functions that are needed to relate stresses with rate of change of strains or strain rates

Rheology
Shear thinning viscosity reduces with shaking (velocity) . E.g ketchup Shear tickening (dilatant) is the opposite Rheology is an extennsion of continuum mechanics Materials with the characteristics of a fluid will flow when subjected to a stress which is defined as the force per area. There are different sorts of stress (e.g. shear, torsional, etc.) Rheology unites the seemingly unrelated fields of plasticity and non-Newtonian fluid dynamics

Rheology
Continuum mechanics The study of the physics of continuous materials Solid mechanics The study of the physics of continuous materials with a defined rest shape. Fluid mechanics The study of the physics of continuous materials which deform when subjected to a force. Elasticity Describes materials that return to their rest shape after applied stresses are removed. Plasticity Describes materials that permanently deform after a sufficient applied stress.

Rheology
Non-Newtonian fluids do not undergo strain rates proportional to the applied shear stress. Newtonian fluids undergo strain rates proportional to the applied shear stress. Rheology The study of materials with both solid and fluid characteristics. Viscoelasticity is the property of materials that exhibit both viscous and elastic characteristics when undergoing deformation. Elastic materials strain instantaneously when stretched and just as quickly return to their original state once the stress is removed.

Rheology
Viscoelastic materials have elements of both of these properties and, as such, exhibit time dependent strain viscosity is the result of the diffusion of atoms or molecules inside an amorphous material. Viscosity is a measure of the resistance of a fluid which is being deformed by either shear stress or tensile stress. In everyday terms (and for fluids only), viscosity is "thickness" or "internal friction". With the exception of superfluids, all real fluids have some resistance to stress and therefore are viscous.

Rheology
The usual symbol for dynamic viscosity used by mechanical and chemical engineers as well as fluid dynamicists is the Greek letter mu (). The symbol is also used by chemists, physicists, The SI physical unit of dynamic viscosity is the pascalsecond (Pas), (equivalent to Ns/m2, or kg/(ms)).