Experimental Studies of Flow-Induced Birefringence in Complex Fluids

Abstract

To elucidate the mechanism for flow phenomena in complex fluids, it is crucial to analyze the associated flow-induced structures both experimentally and numerically. Flow-induced birefringence (FIB) measurement is an optical measurement that is very useful for analyzing flow-induced structures in complex fluids, which is why many studies have used the FIB technique. Furthermore, various recent studies have developed new devices for measuring FIB. Reviewed briefly here are recent experimental studies that have applied the FIB technique to complex fluids such as surfactant solutions, fiber suspensions, and polymer fluids.