One of the most commonly asked questions we receive from our clients is centered around the topic of shear rates and what to expect when dealing with various applications. Now most of you have a general idea on what shear rate means, but we want to take it one step further and illustrate several key components when dealing with shear rates.
First things first: Shear rate is a key parameter when measuring viscosity regardless of if your sample is Newtonian or non-Newtonian. Shear rate is defined as the flow velocity gradient in the direction perpendicular to the flow direction (ScienceDirect).
Knowing, and more importantly understanding, shear rates enable you to explore various factors on how your sample behaves including the most important factor, if your sample is Newtonian or non-Newtonian (check out our informational page on the differences). With this knowledge, determining the shear rates at which your sample changes viscosity can determine the fate of your product performance whether it is providing the best experience when injecting your solution into a patient or best quality results of your ink flowing out of a inkjet nozzle.
So learn how you can properly estimate shear rate and confidently select the desired parameters in your sample measurement. Know more about your sample early on to prevent any issues later on.
Download our desired shear rate webinar, presented by Dr. Stacey Elliott, to learn how you can design your experiments to get the most out of your viscosity measurements.
Topics covered will include:
- What is shear rate and why is it so important?
- Simple ways to estimate shear rates for various applications.
- Tips on selecting the best microfluidic flow channel and flow rate for your measurements.
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