Non newtonian fluids can reorganize their atomic structure if exposed to stress forces.
Would it be a better defense against an explosion than a solid cover?
In: Chemistry
I’ll start by going for some definitions, then I’ll answer the question.
* Newtonian fluid: a fluid that has a viscosity independent of shear rate.
* Non-newtonian fluid: a fluid that has a viscosity dependent on shear rate.
There are two main types of non-newtonian fluids. Shear thinning and shear thickening. There are other behaviours as well like fluids that have a yield stress, meaning that irrespective of the dependency of the viscosity on shear rate, there is a minimum stress needed to get those to flow (think toothpaste).
Non newtonian fluids also tend to have zero shear and infinite shear plateaus. Basically, there are limits to the dependency of viscosity on shear rate. Here’s a graphical example of what the viscosity would look like for a shear thinning fluid: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-Carreau-viscosity-model-and-concept-of-n1_fig1_359466144
Shear thickening is basically just flipping the curve.
Now that, that has been said, it was fairly obvious you meant shear thickening fluids.
If an explosive goes off in a shear thinning fluid, the fluid will obviously behave like a liquid or gas (air is a fluid too, so are other gases) of a viscosity corresponding on the shear generated by the explosive. Basically, will behave like you’d expect water and the like to behave.
As for shear thickening fluids, some will behave for a very short time more like a solid, but will quickly go back to behaving like their original selves. An explosion is a very rapid and violent phenomenon, but it is also very short lived, you would be able to see it using high-speed video, but you’ll miss using regular speed footage or the Mk. I eyeball. Other shear thickening fluids that have a lower upper viscosity limit will still ultimately behave like you would expect a fluid to.
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