Is oil a Newtonian or non-Newtonian?
oil, are Newtonian.
These fluids are termed non-Newtonian fluids. The viscosity of a non-Newtonian fluid will change due to agitation or pressure—technically known as shear stress. A shear stress will not affect the viscosity of a Newtonian fluid. Non-Newtonian fluids are polymers.
The key difference between Newtonian and non Newtonian fluids is that the Newtonian fluids have a constant viscosity, whereas the non-Newtonian fluids have a variable viscosity. Furthermore, when considering the shear rate and shear stress, in Newtonian fluids, we can observe a zero shear rate at zero shear stress.
Oil is a non-Newtonian fluid, which means that its viscosity is not constant – it cannot be described by a single number – it varies.
The results of viscosity measurements showed that the behavior of olive oil is Newtonian since the value of the flow indices (n) is very close to one.
Air and water are both Newtonian fluids. Some liquids,c however, have viscosities that change with rate of shear. The two basic categories are shear thickening and shear thinning, and the names are fairly self-explanatory.
Normal milk behaves as a Newtonian liquid and its viscosity is affected by temperature, fat content, protein content, total solids, and solid-to-liquid fat ratio (Fernandez-Martin, 1972; Randhahn, 1973; Bloore and Boag, 1981; Langley and Temple, 1985; Velez-Ruitz and Barbosa-Canovas, 1998, 2000).
How Bulletproof #8 - Non-Newtonian Fluid - Cornstarch / Water Slurry
Newtonian fluids obey Newton's law of viscosity. The viscosity is independent of the shear rate. Non-Newtonian fluids do not follow Newton's law and, thus, their viscosity (ratio of shear stress to shear rate) is not constant and is dependent on the shear rate.
We suppose that the physical basis underlying the non-Newtonian behaviour of a mineral oil is viscoelasticity, that is, the appearance of an additional mode of deformation of the substance, in addition to the more usual mode of deformation as a Newtonian liquid.
Most lubricant oils are considered Newtonian. With some fluids, known as non-Newtonian fluids, the viscosity varies with the rate at which the fluid is forced to move.
Is hydraulic oil a Newtonian fluid?
A key statement is "The viscosity is a function only of the condition of the fluid, particularly its temperature." Water, oil, gasoline, alcohol and even glycerin are examples of Newtonian fluids.
Fluids are either Newtonian — their viscosity is constant, despite perturbation — or non-Newtonian — their viscosity changes and is less easy to predict. Canola oil is Newtonian and the STP products are non-Newtonian. The three different oils all produced different vortices, or funnels.

The viscosity of edible oils is a function due to the fatty acid composition of the different oils. The relative viscosity between the edible oils and their blends is a function of temperature in the range 4 to 20°C.
Vegetable oils have a relatively high viscosity, thus not requiring viscosity enhancers. They also have a high VI, thus not requiring viscosity index modifiers either.
Many common substances exhibit non-Newtonian flows. These include: Soap solutions, cosmetics, and toothpaste. Food such as butter, cheese, jam, mayonnaise, soup, taffy, and yogurt.
Water, sugar solutions, glycerin, silicone oils, light-hydrocarbon oils, air and other gases are Newtonian fluids. Most drilling fluids are non-Newtonian fluids.
Honey is an example of a non-Newtonian fluid – a fluid that changes its behavior when under stress or strain.
Ice is a non-Newtonian fluid with an empirical relation between strain rate and stress τ, namely, , known as Glen's law (Glen, 1955). The coefficient A is temperature dependent, and the stress exponent n is on the order of 3 for intermediate stresses as they occur in glaciers.
While the plasma is essentially a Newtonian fluid, the blood as a whole behaves as a non-Newtonian fluid showing all signs of non- Newtonian rheology which includes deformation rate dependency, viscoelasticity, yield stress and thixotropy.
Different types of non-Newtonian fluids
The table below summarises four types of non-Newtonian fluids.
Is sand a non-Newtonian fluid?
As a non-Newtonian fluid, Kinetic Sand acts like a viscous liquid, but also like an elastic solid. This is because the molecular structure of polydimethylsiloxane is held together by hydrogen bonds, a few of which can be easily broken when small amounts of stress are applied, allowing the sand to flow freely.
Such fluids are called non-Newtonian, because, unlike water or other Newtonian fluids, their viscosities change depending on how fast they're being sheared: think toothpaste, which is solid in the tube but flows like a liquid when squeezed or sheared.
So, it turns out that peanut butter is a great example of non-Newtonian fluid. One minute it behaves like a solid, and the next it flows like a liquid. Non-Newtonian fluids can switch between a solid and liquid state depending on the forces acting upon them.
Normal milk behaves as a Newtonian liquid and its viscosity is affected by temperature, fat content, protein content, total solids, and solid-to-liquid fat ratio (Fernandez-Martin, 1972; Randhahn, 1973; Bloore and Boag, 1981; Langley and Temple, 1985; Velez-Ruitz and Barbosa-Canovas, 1998, 2000).
Honey is an example of a non-Newtonian fluid – a fluid that changes its behavior when under stress or strain.