Correlation of fiber shape measures with dilute suspension properties

Abstract

The correlations between the intrinsic viscosity of fiber suspensions and 17 measures of fiber shape were investigated. The intrinsic viscosities of suspensions of fibers with various shapes and aspect ratios were determined numerically. The shapes studied include different degrees of fiber curvature, angular bends, helical shapes, randomly generated shapes, and others. The shape measure that correlated most strongly with intrinsic viscosity was an invariant of the hydrodynamic resistance tensor; this invariant is related to the hydrodynamic drag coefficients on a fiber translating in the three principal directions. This measure can be computed from 3D images of real fibers, and could potentially be a useful quantity for describing fiber shape. These results also suggest that experimentally-measured intrinsic viscosities can be used to characterize fiber shape, either directly or by extracting the invariant from experimental data.

Keywords

Fiber shape, shape measure, intrinsic viscosity, simulations, suspensions, fibers, mechanical properties, deformations, mathematical models, viscosity, simulation methods, rheology, particles, pulping, fiber curvature, fiber properties, particle shape

Citation

Tozzi, Emilio J.; Klingenberg, Daniel J.; Scott, Tim. 2008. Correlation of fiber shape measures with dilute suspension properties. Nordic pulp and paper research journal. Vol. 23, no. 4: pages 369-373.