Strain-dependent rheology and the memory of plasticine

Plasticine and plasticine-like materials have been widely used as analogue materials for experimental deformation, but not many workers have conducted detailed investigations on their rheology. The physical properties of Beck's green and black plasticine, a modelling material made in Gomaringen, Germany, and plasticine/oil mixtures were investigated by means of uniaxial compression and relaxation tests. Beck's plasticine is a non-Newtonian fluid characterised by strain rate-dependent plastic yielding and strain hardening. Strain hardening is more pronounced at low strain rates leading to an increase of both stress exponent and viscosity. The addition of oil leads to an increase of the stress exponent and a decrease in viscosity. The strain dependence of viscosity decreases with increasing oil content. Compression tests on preflattened plasticine were also conducted in order to study possible ‘strain memory’ of the materials. Preflattened plasticine is characterised by a later onset of yielding and an increase in both stress exponent and viscosity. Our results suggest that Beck's green and black plasticine is a suitable analogue material for modelling rocks that deform by dislocation creep and exhibit pronounced strain hardening. Nevertheless, plane strain modelling of boudinage has verified analytical solutions for the dominant wavelength at viscosity contrasts of approximately 1.5 and 2.5.