Fundamental findings in softmatter rheology on the basis of multiple methods

Abstract

Softmatters exhibit rich rheological properties because of their high susceptibility (softness). Fundamentals of those properties can be elucidated on the basis of multiple experimental method(s) detecting the molecular and/or structural dynamics in the materials and of analyses based on the molecular expression(s) of the stress specific to respective materials. From this point of view, this article summarizes the results of studies for non-entangled and entangled homopolymers, miscible polymer blends, and Brownian suspensions. The emphasis is placed on competition/interaction of fast and slow components in the systems, which is similar, in many senses, to the competition/interaction in the human society. © 2012 The Society of Rheology, Japan.