Thixotropy

Thixotropy is a time-dependent shear thinning property. Certain

gels or fluids that are thick or viscous under static conditions will
flow (become thin, less viscous) over time when shaken, agitated,
sheared or otherwise stressed (time dependent viscosity). They
then take a fixed time to return to a more viscous state.[1] Some
non-Newtonian pseudoplastic fluids show a time-dependent
change in viscosity; the longer the fluid undergoes shear stress, the
lower its viscosity. A thixotropic fluid is a fluid which takes a finite
time to attain equilibrium viscosity when introduced to a steep
change in shear rate. Some thixotropic fluids return to a gel state
almost instantly, such as ketchup, and are called pseudoplastic
fluids. Others such as yogurt take much longer and can become
nearly solid. Many gels and colloids are thixotropic materials,
exhibiting a stable form at rest but becoming fluid when agitated.
Thixotropy arises because particles or structured solutes require
Tomato ketchup is a classic
time to organize. An excellent overview of thixotropy has been example of a thixotropic material.
provided by Mewis and Wagner.[2]

Some fluids are anti-thixotropic: constant shear stress for a time causes an increase in viscosity or even
solidification. Fluids which exhibit this property are sometimes called rheopectic. Anti-thixotropic fluids are
less well documented than thixotropic fluids.[2]

Contents
Natural examples
Applications
Etymology
See also
References
External links

Natural examples
Some clays are thixotropic, with their behavior of great importance in structural and geotechnical engineering.
Landslides, such as those common in the cliffs around Lyme Regis, Dorset and in the Aberfan spoil tip disaster
in Wales are evidence of this phenomenon. Similarly, a lahar is a mass of earth liquefied by a volcanic event,
which rapidly solidifies once coming to rest.

Drilling muds used in geotechnical applications can be thixotropic. Honey from honey bees may also exhibit
this property under certain conditions (such as heather honey or mānuka honey).

Both cytoplasm and the ground substance in the human body are thixotropic, as is semen.[3]

Some clay deposits found in the process of exploring caves exhibit thixotropism: an initially solid-seeming
mudbank will turn soupy and yield up moisture when dug into or otherwise disturbed. These clays were
deposited in the past by low-velocity streams which tend to deposit fine-grained sediment.

A thixotropic fluid is best visualised by an oar blade embedded in mud. Pressure on the oar often results in a
highly viscous (more solid) thixotropic mud on the high pressure side of the blade, and low viscosity (very
fluid) thixotropic mud on the low pressure side of the oar blade. Flow from the high pressure side to the low
pressure side of the oar blade is non-Newtonian. (i.e.: fluid velocity is not linearly proportional to the square
root of the pressure differential over the oar blade).

Applications
Many kinds of paints and inks—e.g. plastisols used in silkscreen textile printing—exhibit thixotropic
qualities.[4] In many cases it is desirable for the fluid to flow sufficiently to form a uniform layer, then to resist
further flow, thereby preventing sagging on a vertical surface. Some other inks, such as those used in CMYK-
type process printing, are designed to regain viscosity even faster, once they are applied, in order to protect the
structure of the dots for accurate color reproduction.

Thixotropic ink (along with a gas pressurized cartridge and special shearing ball design) is a key feature of the
Fisher Space Pen, used for writing during zero gravity space flights by the US and Russian space programs.

Solder pastes used in electronics manufacturing printing processes are thixotropic.

Thread-locking fluid is a thixotropic adhesive that cures anaerobically.

Thixotropy has been proposed as a scientific explanation of blood liquefaction miracles such as that of Saint
Januarius in Naples.[5]

Semi-solid casting processes such as thixomoulding use the thixotropic property of some alloys (mostly light
metals) (bismuth). Within certain temperature ranges, with appropriate preparation, an alloy can be put into a
semi-solid state, which can be injected with less shrinkage and better overall properties than by normal
injection molding.
Fumed silica is commonly used as a rheology agent to make otherwise low-viscous fluids thixotropic. Examples
range from foods to epoxy resin in structural bonding applications like fillet joints.

Etymology
The word comes from Ancient Greek θίξις thixis "touch" (from thinganein "to touch") and -tropy, -tropous,
from Ancient Greek -τρόπος -tropos "of turning", from τρόπος tropos "a turn", from τρέπειν trepein, "to turn".
It was invented by Herbert Freundlich originally for a sol-gel transformation.[6]

See also
◾ Aberfan disaster
◾ Bingham plastic
◾ Calcium Sulfate
◾ Dilatant
◾ Fumed silica
◾ Kaye effect
◾ Nanocellulose
◾ Polymer
◾ Pseudoplastic
◾ Rheology
◾ Rheopexy (antonym)
◾ Shear thinning
◾ Silly putty
◾ Solder_paste#Composition find "thixotropic index"
◾ Viscosity

References
1. Morrison, Ian (2003). "Dispersions". Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology. Kirk-Othmer
encyclopedia of Chemical Technology. doi:10.1002/0471238961.0409191613151818.a01 (https://doi.org/1
0.1002%2F0471238961.0409191613151818.a01). ISBN 978-0471238966.
2. Mewis, J; Wagner, N J (2009). "Thixotropy". Advances in Colloid and Interface Science. 147-148: 214–
227. doi:10.1016/j.cis.2008.09.005 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.cis.2008.09.005). PMID 19012872 (http
s://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19012872).
3. Hendrickson, T: "Massage for Orthopedic Conditions", page 9. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2003.
4. Köhler, Klaus; Simmendinger, Peter; Roelle, Wolfgang; Scholz, Wilfried; Valet, Andreas; Slongo, Mario
(2010). "Paints and Coatings, 4. Pigments, Extenders, and Additives". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of
Industrial Chemistry. Ullmann's Encyclopedia Of Industrial Chemistry. doi:10.1002/14356007.o18_o03 (htt
ps://doi.org/10.1002%2F14356007.o18_o03). ISBN 978-3527306732.
5. Garlaschelli, L; Ramaccini, F; Della Scala, S (1994). "The Blood of St. Januarius" (http://www.cicap.org/ne
w/articolo.php?id=101014). Chemistry in Britain. 30 (2): 123.}
 6. Reiner, M; Scott Blair, G W (1967) in Eich, F. R., (ed) Rheology, Theory and Applications Vol 4 p 465
(Academic Press, NY)

External links
◾ The dictionary definition of thixotropy at Wiktionary

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This page was last edited on 25 July 2019, at 04:46 (UTC).

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