Shear viscosity behavior of emulsions of two immiscible liquids

The viscous behavior of oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions is studied over a broad range of dispersed-phase concentrations (phi) using a controlled-stress rheometer At low-to-moderate values of phi (phi < 0.60), emulsions exhibit Newtonian behavior. The droplet size does not exert any influence on the viscosity of Newtonian emulsions. However, at higher values of phi, emulsions exhibit shear-thinning behavior. The viscosity of shear-thinning emulsions is strongly influenced by the droplet size; a significant increase in the viscosity occurs when the droplet size is reduced. With the decrease in droplet size, the degree of shear thinning in concentrated emulsions is also enhanced. The viscosity data of Newtonian emulsions are described reasonably well by the cell model of Yaron and Gal-Or (Rheol. Acta 11, 241 (1972)), which takes into account the effects of the dispersed-phase concentration as well as the viscosity ratio of the dispersed phase to continuous phase. The relative viscosities of non-Newtonian emulsions having different droplet sizes but the same dispersed-phase concentration are scaled with the particle Reynolds number. The high shear viscosities of non-Newtonian emulsions can be predicted fairly well by the cell model of Yaron and Gal-Or (Rheol. Acta 11, 241 (1972)). (C) 2000 Academic Press.