Torque, rotating sphere viscometer

Numerous methods for measuring fluid viscosity exist, for example, capillary tube flow methods (Ostwald viscometer), Zahn cup method, falling sphere methods, vibrational methods, and rotational methods. Rotational viscometers measure the torque required to turn an object immersed or in contact with a fluid this torque is related to the fluid s viscosity. A well-known example of this type of system is the Couette viscometer. However, it should be noted that as some CMP slurries may be non-Newtonian fluids, the viscosity may be a function of the rotation rate (shear rate). An example of this is the dilatant behavior (increasing viscosity unda increasing shear) of precipitated slurries that have symmetrical particles [33]. Furthermore, the CMP polisher can be thought of as a large rotational plate viscometer where shear rates can exceed 10 s and possibly affect changes to the apparoit viscosity. The reader can refer to the comprehensive review of viscosity measurement techniques in the book by Viswanath et aL [34]. 

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