Constructing a thixotropy model from rheological experiments

A phenomenological constitutive model that accounts for thixotropy, viscoelasticity and yielding behavior is presented. It uses the fluidity to specify the microscopic state. The model is composed of two differential equations, one tensorial equation that relates the stress to the rate of strain and one scalar evolution equation for the fluidity. The equation for stress is a modified version of the Oldroyd-B model in which the relaxation and retardation times are functions of the fluidity. In contrast to the existing phenomenological models for thixotropic materials, the evolution equation that describes the microscopic state only involves material functions that are directly measurable by means of standard rheological tests.