Rheological Characterization of Shear-Thinning Fluids with a Novel Viscosity Equation of a Tank-Tube Viscometer

A tank-tube viscometer and its novel viscosity equation were developed to determine flow characteristics of non-Newtonian fluids. The objective of this research is to test capabilities of the tank-tube viscometer and its novel non-Newtonian viscosity equation by characterizing rheological behaviors of well-known polyethylene oxide (MW 8000000) aqueous solutions as non-Newtonian fluids with 60-w% sucrose aqueous solution as a reference calibration fluid. Non-Newtonian characteristics of 0.3 - 0.7 wt% polyethylene oxide aqueous solutions were extensively investigated with the tank-tube viscometer and its non-Newtonian viscosity equation over the 294 - 306 K temperature range, and 55 - 784 s-1 shear rate range. The 60-w% sucrose aqueous solution was used as a reference/calibration fluid for the tank-tube viscometer. Dynamic viscosity values of 60 w% sucrose aqueous solution were determined with the calibrated tank-tube viscometer and its Newtonian viscosity equation at 299.15 K, and compared with the literature values