Publisher's Synopsis
Rheology is, by common consent, a difficult subject and some of the theoretical components are often viewed as being of prohibitive complexity by scientists without a strong mathematical background. There are also the difficulties inherent in any multidisciplinary science like rheology for those with a specific training. Therefore, newcomers to the field are sometimes discouraged, and for them the existing texts on the subject - some of which are outstanding - are of limited assistance because of their depth of detail and highly mathematical nature. This book introduces the subject of rheology in terms understandable to non-experts and describes the application of rheological principles to many industrial products and processes. It provides a simple but authoritative guide which shows clearly how mathematics, physics and chemistry have contributed to the development of rheology. The generic features of all liquid-like materials are summarised: viscosity, linear viscoelasticity, normal stresses and extensional viscosity. Particular systems are then discussed; polymeric liquids and suspensions.
