Rheology studies the flow of matter, including liquids, soft solids, and complex substances like body fluids. It is a physics discipline that focuses on non-Newtonian fluids. To become a rheologist, one must have a bachelor’s degree in physics, engineering, or mathematics. Rheologists work in various fields, including pharmaceuticals, engineering, and geophysics. The Society of Rheology was established in 1929 to meet the demand for scientists who had studied rheology. Its motto is “everything flows,” and it currently has 1800 members and publishes the Journal of Rheology six times a year.
Rheology is the study of the flow of matter. It is classified as a physics discipline and focuses on substances that do not maintain a constant viscosity or state of flux. This can involve liquids, soft solids, and solids that are in conditions that cause them to flow. This includes substances that tend to be very complex, including body fluids, slurries and suspensions.
Coined in 1920, the term “rheology” takes its name from the Greek words “rei”, which means flow, and “ologia”, which means study. The study is also called “non-Newtonian fluid mechanics” because it was the English physicist Isaac Newton who originated the concept of viscosity. Rheology studies those substances that do not follow the rules of viscosity.
Take, for example, a jar of peanut butter. When the jar is opened, the top surface of the peanut butter retains the shape left by the last person who used it. It can do this for months or even longer. Peanut butter, like mayonnaise, paint or melted plastic, does not follow Newton’s laws of viscosity and therefore is classified by rheological standards for unusual flow.
Since there is no general discipline in rheology, to become a rheologist, a scientist must first have a bachelor’s degree in a related field such as physics, engineering, or mathematics. The truth is, very little of his knowledge of the discipline will be learned during his undergraduate education. It is in the scientist’s postgraduate research that he will receive most of his education in concepts relating to the flow of matter.
A rheologist can work in many fields, including pharmaceuticals and engineering. For example, some scientists work in the field of biorheology, a study of the flow of biological fluids. Another specialty is hermorology, or the study of blood flow. In the field of geophysics, a rheologist might study lava flow patterns.
In 1929 there was an increase in demand for scientists who had studied rheology. Several newly discovered synthetic rubbers and polymers have been discovered, creating a demand for knowledge of their flow properties. The established Society of Rheology (SOR) was formed that year. SOR later became a founding society of the American Institute of Physics. In a nod to the studio’s origin, the organization’s motto is a famous quote from the Greek philosopher Simplicius. His motto is panta rei which translates into “everything flows”. It currently hosts 1800 members and publishes the Journal of Rheology six times a year.
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