The bucket rheometer for shear stress-shear rate measurement of industrial suspensions

Abstract

Shear stress versus shear rate and, hence, viscosity measurements for industrial materials are often difficult to measure using conventional rheometer geometries due the effects of particle size, particle migration, settling, and slip. It is demonstrated here that a four bladed vane is not only useful for yield stress measurement but is also a convenient device for the determination of the shear stress versus shear rate characteristics of industrial materials. The application considered is that of the vane in an infinite medium (a bucket) where the shear rate is precisely determined. Data for an alumina sample at two different states of dispersion and three industrial nickel laterite suspens..