RHEOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF NON-NEWTONIAN FLUIDS WITH A NOVEL VISCOMETER

Abstract

A hydrostatic head viscometer and its novel viscosity equation were developed to determine flow characteristics of Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids. The objective of this research is to test capabilities of the hydrostatic head viscometer and its novel non-Newtonian viscosity equation by characterizing rheological behaviors of well-known polyethylene oxide aqueous solutions as non-Newtonian fluids with 60 wt.% sucrose aqueous solution as a reference/calibration fluid. Non-Newtonian characteristics of 0.3–0.7 wt.% polyethylene oxide aqueous solutions were extensively investigated with the hydrostatic head viscometer and its non-Newtonian viscosity equation over a 294–306 K temperature range, a 0.14–40 Reynolds number range, and a 55–784 s⁻¹ shear rate range at atmospheric pressure. Dynamic viscosity values of 60 wt.% sucrose aqueous solution were determined with the calibrated hydrostatic head viscometer and its Newtonian viscosity equation over a 3–5 Reynolds number range at 299.15 K and atmospheric pressure and compared with the literature dynamic viscosity value.

Keywords:

• Flow behavior index
• Fluid consistency index
• Hydrostatic head viscometer
• Newtonian viscosity equation for a hydrostatic head viscometer
• Non-Newtonian fluids
• Non-Newtonian viscosity equation for a hydrostatic head viscometer
• Polyethylene oxide aqueous solution
• Power-law model
• Pseudoplastic fluids
• Sucrose aqueous solution

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Chemical Engineering students for conducting experiments and obtaining experimental data for this research project. The P&G curriculum grant supports this research project.