Determination of phenomenological constants of shear-induced particle migration model

Particles in initially well-mixed suspensions subject to inhomogeneous shear flows will migrate and establish a particle concentration gradient and a non-Newtonian velocity profile. In this study, a phenomenological diffusive flux model coupled with flow equations was employed to describe the shear-induced particle migration in a concentrated suspension. The focus of the paper is on the determination of the two phenomenological constants in the diffusive flux model k(c) and k(eta). They were determined inversely by employing a least square analysis on the experimental pressure data with different capillary die ratios of length to diameter of the die. The pressures and the flow patterns of the non-Newtonian concentrated suspension were predicted in terms of these two phenomenological constants. The results indicated that particle migration should be accounted for to properly characterize the rheological behaviour of concentrated suspensions. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.