Dispersion mechanisms structural relaxation time

Dispersed systems, i.e. suspensions, emulsions and foams, are ubiquitous in industry and daily life. Their mechanical properties are often tested using oscillatory rheological experiments in the linear regime as a function of temperature and frequency [29]. The complex response function is described in terms of its real part (G ) and imaginary part (G"). Physical properties like relaxation times or phase transitions of the non-perturbated samples can be evaluated. The linear rheology is characterized by the measurement of the viscoelastic moduli G and G" as a function of angular frequency at a small strain amplitude. The basics of linear rheology are described in detail in several textbooks [8, 29] and will not be repeated here. The relations between structure and linear viscoelastic properties of dispersed systems are well known [4,7, 26]. 

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