We show how attractive interactions dramatically influence emulsion rheology. Unlike the repulsive case, attractive emulsions below random close packing, RCP, can form soft gel-like elastic solids. However, above RCP, attractive and repulsive emulsions have similar elasticities. Such compressed attractive emulsions undergo an additional shear-driven relaxation process during yielding. Our results suggest that attractive emulsions begin to yield at weak points through the breakage of bonds, and, above RCP, also undergo droplet configurational rearrangements.
@article{arxiv.1201.2680,
title = {Rheology of Attractive Emulsions},
author = {Sujit S. Datta and Dustin D. Gerrard and Travers S. Rhodes and Thomas G. Mason and David A. Weitz},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1201.2680},
year = {2012}
}