Work

Discontinuous Shear Thickening of Frictional Hard-Sphere Suspensions

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: Discontinuous shear thickening (DST) observed in many dense athermal suspensions has proven difficult to understand and to reproduce by numerical simulation. By introducing a numerical scheme including both relevant hydrodynamic interactions and granularlike contacts, we show that contact friction is essential for having DST. Above a critical volume fraction, we observe the existence of two states: a low viscosity, contactless (hence, frictionless) state, and a high viscosity frictional shear jammed state. These two states are separated by a critical shear stress, associated with a critical shear rate where DST occurs. The shear jammed state is reminiscent of the jamming phase of granular matter. Continuous shear thickening is seen as a lower volume fraction vestige of the jamming transition.

Source: Physical Review Letters

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.111.218301

Authors: Ryohei Seto, Romain Mari, Jeffrey F. Morris, Morton M. Denn

Institution: City College of New York

Language: English

Topic: Material Dynamics and Properties

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, Division of Materials Research

Awards: G5163835982, PREM: City College-Chicago MRSEC Partnership on the Dynamics of Heterogeneous and Particulate Materials