Rigidity, fluidity, and yielding

Soft materials such as emulsions, foams, pastes, and suspensions appear frequently in industrial applications. They are challenging to model due to their complex mixture of fluid-like and solid-like properties. Often predictive models are missing, and their deformation and flow properties are instead described with ad hoc fitting functions with limited range of applicability. In this project, we use statistical thermodynamics and computer simulations to bridge the gap between physics on the particle scale and bulk material properties such as viscosity, elastic moduli, and yield stress. The result is a set of predictive constitutive relations suitable to design processes in complex devices. 

Chair:
Engineering Thermodynamics

Involved People:
Dr. Brian Tighe
Prof.dr.ir. T.J.H. Vlugt