Properties of Nonlinear Oscillatory Shear Response Generated by a Shear-Flow Model Accounting for the Interplay between Structural Evolution and Applied Shear

Abstract

The article investigates a nonlinear shear-flow model that describes the coupling between deformation and the evolution of the internal structure of a thixotropic medium. The model is designed to capture the behavior of a wide range of materials --- from polymer solutions and colloidal suspensions to physical gels and cement pastes --- under cyclic loading conditions. In the model, the structural parameter w affects both viscosity and elastic moduli, undergoing degradation under applied stress. Cyclic loading is examined across a broad range of frequencies and amplitudes, encom-passing both small-amplitude and large-amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS and LAOS) regimes. The model reproduces the transition from linear viscoelastic to nonlinear behavior, displaying characteristic features of structural breakdown and recovery within each cycle. The shapes of integral stress-strain curves and phase portraits strongly depend on the ratio of the oscillation period to the material’s relaxation time. We observe oscillations, asymmetry, and phase shifts linked to structural rearrangements, as well as regimes exhibiting symmetry breaking and changes in the number of oscillations of the structural parameter per cycle. The results are compared with experimental data for thixotropic fluids, polymer solutions, emulsions, and gels. The model demonstrates its applicability for capturing key nonlinear effects in cyclic rheological testing

The work was carried out with the financial support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (project no. FSRG-2024-0004)

Please cite this article in English as:

Gulin V.V. Properties of nonlinear oscillatory shear response generated by a shear-flow model accounting for the interplay between structural evolution and applied shear. Herald of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Series Natural Sciences, 2026, no. 1 (124), pp. 4--31 (in Russ.). EDN: ZAPQJD

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