Interfacial rheology of uniform polymer dispersions

The effects of high oscillatory shear on the viscosity of a model polymer dispersion of solid particles was investigated. A dispersion of glass beads in poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) is uniform and free of any agglomeration. When sheared at low stress levels, the dispersion remains uniform. At high stresses under oscillatory shear, two processes can take place. One is spatial ordering (threading) of the spherical beads that does not occur in steady shear. The other is molecular interfacial slip due to high interfacial stress in samples containing fluoro‐silane treated glass beads, leading to a lower suspension viscosity than that of samples containing bare non‐treated beads.