👉 The Durham fluid, also known as the Durham medium, is a colloidal suspension used extensively in materials science and chemical engineering for studying interfacial phenomena and rheology. It consists of a polymer solution with a high molecular weight polymer dispersed in water, creating a stable, non-Newtonian fluid. This medium is characterized by its shear-thinning behavior, meaning its viscosity decreases with increasing shear rate, making it ideal for simulating the flow of complex fluids like biological samples and polymer melts. The Durham fluid is particularly useful for investigating the dynamics of particles, understanding interfacial tension, and studying the effects of shear on colloidal stability.
