Viscosity of high crystal content melts: dependence on solid fraction

Abstract

The rheological properties of suspensions containing high solid fractions are investigated. Attention is focused on viscosity of silicate and magmatic melt systems. A general empirical equation which describes the relative viscosity of suspensions as a function of suspended solid fraction is proposed. In the limit of very dilute solid concentrations it reduces to the Einstein equation. The proposed relationship is satisfactorily applied to reproduce available experimental data relative to silicate melts. Moreover, the extrapolation of the model to very high concentrations is compared with experimental observations on partially-melted granite.

4 pages, 3 figures, in press on Geophysical Research Letters