epäNewtonisia

EpäNewtonisia, a Finnish term, translates to "non-Newtonian" in English and refers to fluids that do not follow Newton's law of viscosity. This law, fundamental to classical fluid dynamics, states that a fluid's viscosity remains constant regardless of the shear rate applied. EpäNewtonisia fluids, however, exhibit a viscosity that changes with the applied shear stress or strain rate.

There are several categories of epäNewtonisia fluids. Shear-thinning fluids, also known as pseudoplastic fluids, decrease their viscosity as shear rate increases. Examples include ketchup, paint, and blood. Conversely, shear-thickening fluids, or dilatant fluids, increase their viscosity with increasing shear rate. Oobleck, a mixture of cornstarch and water, is a common demonstration of this behavior.

Other types include Bingham plastics, which behave as a rigid solid at low stress but flow like a viscous fluid when a certain yield stress is exceeded, such as toothpaste or mayonnaise. Thixotropic fluids exhibit a time-dependent shear-thinning behavior, becoming less viscous over time under constant shear, while rheopectic fluids show time-dependent shear thickening. Understanding the behavior of epäNewtonisia fluids is crucial in various fields, including engineering, food science, and medicine, for applications ranging from designing industrial processes to understanding biological systems.