Aggregate size and viscoelastic property of a highly concentrated suspension

Abstract

Flow of Latex suspension with high concentration between plate glasses was observed through an optical microscope. Size of aggregates of Latex particles was estimated by measuring area of a region without particles behind an obstacle in the flow region (this technique had been developed by one of the authors). At the same time, viscosity and elasticity of the suspension were measured by a cone-plate viscometer, and relations between the aggregate size and these properties were obtained. A simple model based on the Stokes law of resistance and the Maxwell model for viscoelastic materials is proposed to explain these relations. The theoretical results agree with the present experiment.