Fluidity and spreading of structured disperse systems

The regularities of flow and spreading of disperse systems as two interrelated processes are considered. Differences in the mechanisms of spreading of structured dispersions on solid surfaces are discussed in comparison with the processes of wetting and spreading of Newtonian and non-Newtonian unstructured liquids. It is shown that, for structured dispersions under consideration, their bulk structure-related rheological properties are of prime importance. Surface phenomena occurring at a boundary with a solid substrate affect the character of spreading of such dispersions to the same extent as the interaction of a structured disperse system with the surface affects variations in the properties of adjacent layers of the disperse system.