Non-Newtonian Fluids: From Rheology to Hydrodynamics to Modern Applications
Non-Newtonian (or, complex) fluids, characterized by their complex and often counterintuitive flow behavior, open endless possibilities for exploring novel physics and developing new technologies, across disciplines. For example, non-Newtonian fluids may exhibit viscoelasticity (characterized by stress relaxation), shear thinning (characterized by a non-constant shear viscosity), extensional thickening (characterized by a non-constant extensional viscosity), normal stress differences (leading to, e.g., rod climbing), and thixotropy, to name a few. Adding further complexity, complex fluids flows may be active, multiphase, or present evolving interfaces. These effects must be characterized and understood to enable applications in industries ranging from biomedical engineering and food science to additive manufacturing and soft robotics. This Special Topic collection will bring together papers pushing the state of the art on non-Newtonian fluids, from their rheological characterization (both experimental and theoretical) and hydrodynamics (in confined or free-surface flows) to their modern applications in lab-on-chip technologies, additive manufacturing, fluidic actuation and control, to name a few.
Non-Newtonian (or, complex) fluids, characterized by their complex and often counterintuitive flow behavior, open endless possibilities for exploring novel physics and developing new technologies, across disciplines. For example, non-Newtonian fluids may exhibit viscoelasticity (characterized by stress relaxation), shear thinning (characterized by a non-constant shear viscosity), extensional thickening (characterized by a non-constant extensional viscosity), normal stress differences (leading to, e.g., rod climbing), and thixotropy, to name a few. Adding further complexity, complex fluids flows may be active, multiphase, or present evolving interfaces. These effects must be characterized and understood to enable applications in industries ranging from biomedical engineering and food science to additive manufacturing and soft robotics. This Special Topic collection will bring together papers pushing the state of the art on non-Newtonian fluids, from their rheological characterization (both experimental and theoretical) and hydrodynamics (in confined or free-surface flows) to their modern applications in lab-on-chip technologies, additive manufacturing, fluidic actuation and control, to name a few.Topics covered include, but are not limited to:
- Rheological characterization of complex fluids
- Micro- and nano-scale complex flow phenomena
- Lab-on-chip technologies employing complex fluids
- Biological fluids and biomedical applications
- Complex fluids in additive manufacturing and 3D printing
- Complex fluids in drug delivery
- Multiphase and particulate-laden non-Newtonian flows
- Complex fluids in energy systems, such as liquid batteries
- Novel and engineering materials exhibiting non-Newtonian behavior
- Soft and active matter
- Colloidal and interfacial hydrodynamics
- Non-Newtonian fluid mechanics
- Flow instabilities, elastic turbulence, and pattern formation
- Soft robotics, actuation, and fluidic control
Guest Editors
Amir Gat, Technion IIT
Ivan Christov, Purdue University