Using Acoustic Perturbations to Dynamically Tune Shear Thickening in Colloidal Suspensions
Abstract
Colloidal suspensions in industrial processes often exhibit shear thickening that is difficult to control actively. Here, we use piezoelectric transducers to apply acoustic perturbations to dynamically tune the suspension viscosity in the shear-thickening regime. We attribute the mechanism of dethickening to the disruption of shear-induced force chains via perturbations that are large relative to the particle roughness scale. The ease with which this technique can be adapted to various flow geometries makes it a powerful tool for actively controlling suspension flow properties and investigating system dynamics. © 2019 American Physical Society.
Date Published
Journal
Physical Review Letters
Volume
123
Issue
12
URL
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85072809849&doi=10.1103%2fPhysRevLett.123.128001&partnerID=40&md5=850c346de0aae980b837a6dbe50245a6
DOI
10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.128001
Research Area
Group (Lab)
Itai Cohen Group