MONTREAL – A new collection of research, stemming from the Canadian Society of Rheology Symposium held in Montreal in May 2025, offers a deep dive into the science of flow and deformation – a field known as rheology – and its increasingly vital applications across industries. Published in a special issue of Rheologica Acta, the papers highlight advancements in understanding how materials behave under stress, with implications ranging from sustainable polymer development to improved manufacturing processes. The research underscores the growing strength of the Canadian rheology community and its commitment to tackling complex scientific and technological challenges.
Rheology, at its core, is the study of how materials deform and flow. It’s a discipline that touches nearly every aspect of modern life, influencing the creation of everything from paints and cosmetics to food products and advanced medical devices. This latest compilation of work demonstrates the breadth of contemporary rheology, focusing on the relationships between a material’s structure and its properties and how flow interacts with microstructure and external forces. Understanding these interactions is crucial for optimizing processes and developing new materials with tailored characteristics.
Advancing Sustainable Materials Through Rheological Analysis
A significant portion of the research focuses on polymers, both traditional and bio-based. Researchers are increasingly turning to rheology to unlock the potential of sustainable alternatives. For example, work by Torabi et al. Details a “multiscale thermal degradation” analysis of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a class of biodegradable polymers. The study combines kinetic analysis with rheological characterization to bridge the gap between molecular degradation and macroscopic processability, paving the way for wider adoption of these “green materials.”
Similarly, Beaudoin et al. Explored tuning polymer solution elasticity using Boger fluids – a type of viscoelastic fluid – for electrospinning, a process used to create fibers with applications in textiles, filtration, and biomedical engineering. Their research demonstrates how controlling molecular weight distribution and adding elastic additives can improve the stability of the electrospinning process, increase fiber formation, and ultimately boost yield. This work highlights the potential for rheology to optimize manufacturing techniques and reduce waste.
Beyond Polymers: Exploring Complex Fluids and Manufacturing
The symposium, and subsequently the published research, wasn’t limited to polymers. Faramarzi and Taghavi investigated the rheology of fibre-reinforced xanthan gum solutions, revealing new insights into how these biopolymers interact with suspended fibers. Their findings have implications for a wide range of applications, including food science, biomedical engineering, and the development of sustainable materials. They also proposed a new framework for classifying stress-ratio regimes in systems where fibers form stress-bearing networks.
Rheology also plays a critical role in optimizing manufacturing processes. Kafaei et al. Demonstrated how “rheological fingerprints” – unique signatures of a material’s flow behavior – can be used to predict the success of complex manufacturing processes. Their work specifically focused on vibro-compaction, a technique used to improve the homogeneity and density of carbon anodes, essential components in aluminum production. By analyzing the rheological properties of the materials, manufacturers can fine-tune the process to achieve optimal results.
Field-Responsive Fluids and Computational Modeling
The collection also features research on “field-responsive complex fluids,” materials whose properties change in response to external fields like magnetic or electric forces. Magnetorheological fluids, which alter their viscosity under a magnetic field, were a particular focus. Researchers examined these fluids from both a macroscopic and computational perspective, addressing challenges related to sedimentation and yield stress, and validating computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models used to analyze their behavior.
The Canadian Society of Rheology, established to promote the advancement of rheology in Canada, currently has close to 100 members, including academics, industry professionals, and students. The society fosters communication and collaboration among Canadian rheologists, driving innovation in the field. The symposium in Montreal, and the resulting publication in Rheologica Acta, serve as a testament to the strength and vitality of this community.
The articles collectively illustrate the Canadian rheology community’s engagement with globally relevant scientific and technological challenges. Researchers hope this collection will serve as a valuable resource for those across the rheological sciences. The next major event for the society is currently unconfirmed, but information will be available on their website as it becomes available.
Disclaimer: This article provides information about scientific research and should not be considered professional advice.
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