Measuring rheological properties using a slotted plate device

The slotted plate technique has previously been shown to be a successful method for directly measuring the static yield stress of suspensions. In this study, we further establish the usefulness of the slotted plate device as a rheometer especially at low shear rates, taking advantage of the extremely low speeds of the slotted plate technique. Newtonian fluids, a shear thinning fluid, and yield stress fluids were tested using the slotted plate device and the results were compared with those from a commercial rheometer using different standard flow geometries. The relationship between the stress on the plate and the viscosity for the slotted plate device obtained by dimensional analysis (drag) predicts a linear relationship between the force at the plate and the plate speed, consistent with the experimental data. The slotted plate device can measure viscosities at very low shear rates. The apparent viscosity-shear-rate data obtained from the slotted plate device are complementary to those obtained using a commercial rheometer. That is: the slotted plate can measure viscosity in the shear rate range 10(-7) < gamma 10(-3) s(-1), while the commercial rheometer measures viscosity at shear rates higher than 10(-3) s(-1).