The rheology of a suspension of nearly spherical particles subject to Brownian rotations

Abstract

A set of constitutive equations, valid for arbitrary linear bulk flows, is derived for a dilute suspension of nearly spherical, rigid particles which are subject to rotary Brownian couples. These constitutive equations are subsequently applied to find the resulting stress patterns for a variety of time-dependent bulk flow fields. The rheological responses are found to exhibit many of the same qualitative features as have been observed in recent experimental investigations of polymeric solutions and other complex materials.