The flow behavior of fiber suspensions in Newtonian fluids and polymer solutions.

Abstract

This is the second part of a study examining the mechanical properties and capillary flow of fiber suspensions in Newtonian fluids and in polymer solutions. In part I results for the viscous and elastic properties of the fiber suspensions were presented and it was shown that the fiber suspensions exhibited normal stresses in Newtonian as well as in viscoelastic suspending media. It was thus expected that circulating secondary flows would occur near the entrance to a capillary. Four types of fillers (glass, carbon, nylon and vinylon fibers) suspended in glycerin, HEC solutions and Separan solutions were investigated. The entrance flow patterns were visualized and the pressure fluctuations measured. The visualization enabled the eddies occurring in the fiber suspensions in Newtonian fluids to be analysed and classified into two tpyes. The results from the flow visualization were correlated with the pressure fluctuations. Empirical equations for the tube length correction factor due to the elasticity were obtained.