Many industrial processes involve multiphase soft materials in which solid particles are dispersed or co-exists with a fluid phase and are therefore referred to as Particulate Soft Materials (PSMs). Examples can be found in many industries, including food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and energy, as well as in natural settings, e.g., soils and glaciers. PSMs often display a complex mechanical behavior that is characterized by features common to both viscous fluids and elasto-plastic solids, with material properties that can change over time due to thermodynamic, chemical or kinematic conditions. Consequently, these complexities and our limited understanding of the behavior of PSMs can lead to critical industrial challenges, ranging from quality control of concrete to shelf-life of consumer products. These issues can also prove environmentally disastrous, as in the case of clogged subsea pipelines or in landslides and avalanches. Such problems call for immediate solutions to measure and model the PSM overall mechanical behavior, towards an improved understanding of this vast class of materials and corresponding processes.

My research demonstrates that these challenges can be overcome by: (i) introducing novel experimental tools and protocols that allow us to study the mechanical and rheological response of PSMs, even when their behavior is rapidly changing, or mutating, in time; and (ii) rigorously setting sound theoretical frameworks that explain the experimental observations. In this talk, focusing on two PSMs that are of interest to the energy industry (i.e., paraffin gels and hydrate suspensions), I will introduce an example of the integrated experimental and theoretical framework that can successfully capture PSM complex visco-plastic response. As I will demonstrate in my talk, this powerful approach not only improves our understanding of both artificial and natural PSMs, but also provides guidelines to develop superior materials for critical energy and environmental challenges.