Non-Newtonian fluid

A fluid whose stress and rate of deformation are not related by a constant viscosity. Its apparent flow behavior can depend on shear rate, time, or deformation history.

Shear-thinning: A flow behavior in which apparent viscosity decreases as shear rate increases. Many non-Newtonian fluids become easier to move as applied shear rises.
Viscosity: A measure of a fluid's resistance to flow or deformation. Non-Newtonian behavior is identified by viscosity that is not constant under changing conditions.
Rheology: The study of how materials deform and flow under applied forces. Rheology measures and models the behaviors that define non-Newtonian fluids.
Newton's law of viscosity: The relation stating that shear stress equals dynamic viscosity times shear rate for a Newtonian fluid. Its linear, constant-viscosity relation is the defining contrast for this concept.
Shear-thickening: A flow behavior in which apparent viscosity increases as shear rate increases. Dense suspensions can resist sudden motion more strongly as shear intensifies.
Shear stress: Force per unit area acting parallel to a surface within a material. It is the applied mechanical quantity related to deformation rate in fluid flow.
Paint: A liquid coating that forms a colored or protective film when applied to a surface. Paint often thins during brushing but thickens at rest to resist dripping.
Dilatant fluid: A shear-thickening material whose apparent viscosity rises as shear rate increases. This named class is one specific non-Newtonian response, often found in concentrated suspensions.
Bingham plastic: A material that behaves as a solid below a yield stress and flows approximately linearly above it. It exemplifies yield-stress behavior, with flow beginning only after a threshold stress.
Shear rate: The rate at which adjacent layers of fluid move relative to one another. Changes in shear rate often alter a non-Newtonian fluid's apparent viscosity.

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