Measuring the mechanical responses of a jammed discontinuous shear-thickening fluid

Discontinuous shear thickening observed in many dense suspensions is rather complicated but takes place as a transient. Its details after jamming are still not clear. By using a modified rheometer with an analog-to-digital converter, we show that there are three amplitude regimes of shear strain after jamming. First, the shear modulus and the force chain angle increase with strain; the jammed state gradually deepens. Second, the jammed state is stable against a further increase in shear stress; the force chain angle is constant and the force network is stable. Third, the jammed state cannot resist a further increase in shear stress; with the increase in the force chain angle, the force chain network is broken. Published by AIP Publishing.