Award-winning research reveals a unified framework for understanding the flow behavior of suspensions containing cubic particles

MELVILLE, N.Y., August 11, 2026 — Enzo d’Ambrosio, Duncan Gilbert, Frédéric Blanc, Céline Cohen, and Elisabeth Lemaire have been selected to receive the 2026 Journal of Rheology Publication Award for their research paper, “Rheology of suspensions of cubic particles.”

The award recognizes outstanding research published in the journal during the previous two years. The winning paper investigates the rheology of non-Brownian suspensions of cubic particles, providing new insight into how suspensions containing faceted particles behave under flow. The findings extend established rheological models to materials that more closely resemble those used in industrial applications.

Using conventional rheometry and resuspension experiments, the researchers measured suspension viscosity and particle normal stresses to better understand the flow behavior of cubic-particle suspensions. These suspensions serve as model systems for industrial materials containing faceted particles, including molten chocolate, recycled concrete, and solid propellants. Better understanding how these suspensions behave—and how they differ from the well-studied behavior of spherical particle suspensions—is essential for improving the design and processing of these materials.

A key finding of the study is that suspensions of cubic particles exhibit significantly higher viscosity and particle normal stresses than suspensions of spherical particles at the same volume fraction. However, when these properties are analyzed using the reduced volume fraction (ϕ/ϕₘ), which accounts for the maximum particle packing density, the same constitutive laws that describe spherical suspensions also apply to cubic-particle suspensions. This finding provides a unified framework for understanding the rheology of suspensions with different particle shapes.

“Beyond the pride of receiving this award and seeing our work contribute to the field, what means the most to us is the joy of receiving it together as a close-knit team,” said Elisabeth Lemaire, one of the paper’s co-authors. “Having our work recognized by the rheology community is especially meaningful, as being part of such a stimulating and supportive scientific community plays a vital role in shaping our ideas, fostering collaborations, and moving our research forward.”

“This paper exemplifies the kind of rigorous, insightful research that the Journal of Rheology strives to publish,” said Dimitris Vlassopoulos, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Rheology. “The majority of contributions in suspension rheology are based on spherical particles. With their meticulous work, that included careful characterization of the cubic particles investigated, the authors have provided a solid framework that links particle shape and rheological response and will inform future research and benefit scientists and engineers working with suspensions of non-spherical particles in a large variety of applications.”

The authors noted that one of the paper’s central insights emerged through thoughtful comments from an anonymous peer reviewer, underscoring the important role of peer review and editorial guidance in strengthening scientific research. They expressed their appreciation to the reviewer and the editors for their careful and constructive feedback.

The article reflects a broader research effort by the Rheology of Concentrated Suspensions group at the Institut de Physique de Nice, which has spent more than 15 years investigating the rheology of non-Brownian suspensions. By combining numerical simulations, local rheometry experiments, suspension imaging, and atomic force microscopy, the group seeks to better understand how particle-level interactions give rise to the macroscopic flow behavior of complex materials. Advances in microlithography enabled the researchers to produce well-controlled cubic particles, making it possible to extend this work to model faceted-particle suspensions.

The research has also benefited from the contributions of numerous Ph.D. students, including award co-authors Enzo d’Ambrosio and Duncan Gilbert, whose doctoral research advanced the group’s understanding of suspension rheology and contributed to the findings recognized by this award.

ABOUT THE JOURNAL OF RHEOLOGY PUBLICATION AWARD

Each year, the Society of Rheology (SOR) offers the Journal of Rheology Publication Award to the best paper published during the preceding two years. First presented in 1994, the award includes special recognition at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Rheology and a monetary prize. This award was first presented in 1994.

ABOUT THE SOCIETY OF RHEOLOGY

The Society of Rheology (SOR) is composed of physicists, chemists, biologists, engineers, and mathematicians interested in advancing and applying rheology, which is defined as the science of deformation and flow of matter. The Journal of Rheology, which is published by AIP Publishing on behalf of SOR, is a vital resource for researchers working in fields as diverse as polymer physics and fluid mechanics. It presents experimental results, phenomenological models, and microscopic theories dealing with the rheological behavior of complex materials, including macromolecular, colloidal and particulate solids, and fluids. Application areas include foods, paints, plastics, lubricants, ceramics, coatings, glaciers, and biological fluids.

ABOUT AIP PUBLISHING

AIP Publishing’s mission is to advance, promote, and serve the physical sciences for the benefit of humanity by breaking barriers to open, fair research communication and empowering researchers to accelerate global progress. AIP Publishing is a wholly owned not-for-profit subsidiary of the American Institute of Physics (AIP) and supports the charitable, scientific, and educational purposes of AIP through scholarly publishing activities on its behalf and on behalf of its publishing partners.