Rheo-PIV study of slip effects on oscillatory shear measurements of a yield-stress fluid

The influence of apparent slip on oscillatory shear measurements of a viscoplastic microgel [0.6 wt. % of poly(acrylic acid)] is analyzed by Couette and parallel-plate rheometry and particle image velocimetry (Rheo-PIV). We first provide direct evidence of a critical shear stress for the onset of slip of the microgel under oscillatory (σos) and nonoscillatory measurements (σs). Afterward, we describe the effect of slip on oscillatory measurements via waveforms, Bowditch–Lissajous curves, Fourier transform (FT) rheology, PIV, and as a sequence of physical processes (SPP). The effect of slip is mainly observed at low oscillating frequencies. For amplitudes of the oscillating stresses σ0 ≤ σos, the microgel exhibits linear viscoelastic behavior with in-phase strain response. For σos < σ0 ≤ yield stress (σy), slip introduces a phase shift in the strain response with a forward-tilted waveform and “mango” shape Bowditch–Lissajous curves. Meanwhile, FT rheology shows negligible even harmonics. The strain measured by the rheometer does not match the true strain determined by PIV in the presence of slip, resulting in waveforms that depend on how the displacement distribution is interpreted. This result indicates a break in the symmetry of the flow, that is, the microgel response no longer follows the imposed oscillation, which makes any attempt to correct oscillatory data for slip complex. This behavior arises from recoil of the slipping microgel after reaching its maximum displacement in a cycle. Finally, we provide an overall picture of the kinematics of the process of yielding in the presence of slip as an SPP.