My fellow authors and I have assembled a series of articles on using rheology to understand the structure and processing of a wide range of materials. We approach this task by presenting an introduction to the concepts of rheology and some illustrative applications, followed by a description of linear vis-coelasticity and a description of the rheological behavior of elastic fluids. These concepts and related tools are then used to describe molten polymers, colloidal suspensions, latex systems, electrorheological fluids, and gels. In each of these areas, we show how rheology provides insights into the structure of materials and the type of information required to process them. We also show that the rheological approach spans macroscopic and microscopic domains. These aspects of rheology are of value to materials scientists and engineers. We hope these examples will clarify the relevance of rheology to materials.

If we are successful in this presentation, you will obtain a flavor of the process of rheological studies. While reading through these articles, look for the interplay of the concepts of molecular or domain structures and the flow and deformation of the bulk materials. These articles may even inspire you to examine the role that rheology may play in your own studies.