1. Shear-induced displacement of isotropic-nematic spinodals.
- Author
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Lenstra, T. A. J., Dogic, Z., and Dhont, J. K. G.
- Subjects
- *
SUSPENSIONS (Chemistry) , *BACTERIOPHAGE fd , *PHASE diagrams , *SHEAR flow - Abstract
The shear dependent location of the isotropic-nematic spinodals in suspensions of bacteriophage fd is studied by means of time resolved birefringence experiments. The hysteresis in the birefringence on increasing and subsequently decreasing the shear-rate allows the determination of the location of points in the shear-rate vs concentration phase diagram between the isotropic-to-nematic and the nematic-to-isotropic spinodals. Experimental hysteresis curves are interpreted on the basis of an equation of motion for the orientational order parameter tensor, as derived from the N-particle Smoluchowski equation. The spinodals are found to shift to lower concentrations on increasing the shear-rate. Above a critical shear-rate, where shear forces dominate over thermodynamic forces, no spinodal instability could be detected. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2001
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