Predictions of structure breakdown, buildup and shear banding in semisolid suspensions

Abstract

When SSM material is subjected to a sudden transient the rate of buildup (aging) is negligible compared to the rate of breakdown (shear rejuvenation). While this is generally true, due to prolonged processing or the geometry the local shear rate in some regions may become equal or lower than the critical value, where aging becomes as important as shear rejuvenation. In this work we simulate in detail shear rejuvenation and aging in semisolid slurries. Using a standard thixotropic model used widely for modeling SSM suspensions but a novel computational method we reveal and confirm numerically for the first time shear banding. The phenomenon is found to be time dependent where the material first yields fully and then, after a certain time the yielded front retreats to form two distinct bands -one yielded and one unyielded. This phenomenon must be accounted for in the evaluation of the material constants since the time scale of the process is similar to the time scale of the phenomenon.