Yield stress fluids have proven difficult to characterize, and a reproducible determination of the yield stress is difficult. We study two types of yield stress fluids (YSF) in a single system: simple and thixotropic ones. This allows us to show that simple YSF are simply a special case of thixotropic ones, and to pinpoint the difference between static and dynamic yield stresses, one of the major problems in the field. The thixotropic systems show a strong time dependence of the viscosity due to the existence of an internal percolated structure that confers the yield stress to the material. Using loaded emulsions to control the thixotropy, we show that the transition to flow at the yield stress is discontinuous for thixotropic materials, and continuous for ideal ones. The discontinuity leads to a critical shear rate below which no steady flows can be observed, accounting for the ubiquitous shear banding observed in these materials.

• Received 25 April 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.225502