>>11365831>>sheershear.
>>phenomenonthe viscosity increases with shear rate. So there are two ways this occurs. In shear thickening fluids like cornstarch and water, we have a suspension of particles in a fluid. When we shear the fluid these particles stick together and form clusters. Shear thickening fluids like silly putty consist of long polymer chains. Typically they are bound up in themselves, but when we shear them the chain stretch our and tangle with each other increasing viscosity. For testing your chair idea out, cornstarch and water is the best way to go. If you want something that doesn't degrade then silica nanoparticles in silicone oil seem to work pretty well. The processes of dispersing said nanoparticles in oils tend to get interesting. A chair filled up with shear thickening fluid would be heavy and expensive. Because said fluid only thickness under shear it will sag like an inflatable chair. But if you're looking into interesting chair ideas, you should consider making a chair with auxetic foam. Auxetic foam expands when stretched and contracts when pushed. Some studies showed it reduced posterior pressure and could be quantitatively better than regular foam, but no one's making chairs that way.
