Title of thesis: Adhesive and rheological properties of chitosan-based mixtures in media of different pH Author: Alaa Omar Supervisor: PharmDr. Eva Šnejdrová, Ph.D. Consultant: Mgr. Juraj Martiška The aim of the diploma thesis is the study of rheological and adhesive properties of tableting materials for matrix tablets based on chitosan. The theoretical part describes in detail the materials used to prepare the matrix tablets, which were chitosan, sodium alginate and hypromellose. The experimental section was focused on the flow and adhesive properties of the chitosan-based mixtures after exposing them to a media of different pH. The flow tests were done on an absolute rotational rheometer. Obtained viscosity curves were analysed by Power law model. Viscosity at 10 s-1 and Power Law model coefficients were used to evaluate and compare the flow behaviour of dispersions with different concentrations of retarding component in different media. The test of adhesion was carried out using a pull away test on a rotational rheometer and evaluated as maximal detachment force. The remarkably high viscosity of 5% dispersions at pH 1.2 is due to the dissolution of chitosan, as sodium alginate is not soluble in acidic media. The increase in viscosity with the concentration of the retarding component is insured...

Over the past decades, cemented paste backfill (CPB) has become a common, environmentally friendly method of managing mine wastes (such as tailings). This technology allows up to 60% of the total amount of tailings to be reused and filled in the mine stopes after converting them into cemented material. Beside reducing the environmental risks associated with the traditional disposal of these materials, turning them into cemented material and placing them in the underground mine stopes can also provide secondary support for these stopes in addition to minimizing the risk of ground subsidence in the mine area. CPB is an engineered mixture of tailings, water, and hydraulic binder (such as cement, blast furnace slag, and fly ash) that is mixed in the paste plant and delivered into the mine stopes through a gravity or pumping based transportation system. During the transportation of CPB through the delivery system pipelines, the flowability of CPB depends on the rheology of the transported CPB, which is affected by different factors, such as the transportation time, temperature variation, binder type, and chemical composition of these mixtures. In addition, the performance of CPB, after placing the CPB mixture into the mine stopes, is mainly dependent on the role of the hydraulic binder, as it increases the mechanical strength of the mixture through the process of cement hydration. The mechanical strength is also influenced by different factors, such as time progress, temperature variation, and presence of chemical additives. It has previously been found that fresh CPB transported and/or placed in the mine stopes can be susceptible to temperature variation of different sources, such as the climatic effects, heat generated from the surrounding rocks, and heat generated during the process of cement hydration. Unsuitable flowability of CPB through the delivery system might lead to significant financial losses due to clogging of pipelines with unexpected hardening of CPB during transportation, which will cause delay in work and possible damages to the pipelines. Also, failure of CPB structure in the mine stopes due to inappropriate mechanical strength may cause casualties to the mine workers as well as significant environmental and economic damages. Many researchers studied the rheological properties and/or strength development of CPB under the individual effect of any of the aforementioned factors. Additionally, many researchers have evaluated the coupled effect of some of these factors on the rheology and mechanical strength of CPB material. Hitherto, there are currently no studies that addressed the combined effect of all these conditions on the rheological properties and strength development of CPB. At the first stage of this M.A.Sc. study, a series of experimental tests was conducted on fresh CPB in order to determine the combined effect of time, temperature, binder content, and chemical additives on the rheological properties of CPB. These experiments include rheological properties test (yield stress and viscosity), microstructural analysis (thermal analysis and XRD), chemical analysis (pH and Zeta potential), and monitoring tests (electrical conductivity), which were conducted on 125 CPB samples that were mixed and prepared at different temperatures (2oC, 20oC, 35oC) and cured for different curing time (0 hrs., 0.25 hrs., 1 hr., 2hrs, and 4 hrs.). These samples were prepared with different blends of hydraulic binders (PCI, PCI/Slag, and PCI/FA) and contained different dosages of sodium silicate (0%, 0.1%, 0.3%, and 0.5%). The results obtained show that rheology of CPB increases with the progress of curing time. It also increases with the increase in the initial (mixing and curing) temperature and content of sodium silicate. It was also found that the partial usage of slag and FA reduces the rheological properties. However, CPBs containing PCI/FA as binder have lower rheological properties, and thus better flowability, than those that contain PCI/Slag as binder. At the second stage of this M.A.Sc. study, in order to understand the combined effect of time, temperature and sodium silicate content on the strength development of slag-CPB, unconfined compression (UCS) test, microstructural analysis (thermal analysis and MIP), and monitoring tests (electrical conductivity, suction, and volumetric water content) were conducted on 72 CPB samples that were prepared with PCI-Slag as a binder, cured for different times (1 day, 3 days, 7 days, and 28 days) under different curing temperatures of (2oC, 20oC, 35oC), and contained different dosages of sodium silicate (0%, 0.3% and 0.5%). The results obtained at this stage showed that the strength development of slag-CPB increases with the progress of curing time and temperature. It also increases with the increase in the sodium silicate content. Also, the combined effect of high temperature, high dosage of sodium silicate and longer curing time showed significant enhancement in the mechanical strength of slag-CPB. The findings of this M.A.Sc. research will contribute to cost effective, efficient, and safer design of CPB structures in the mine areas. It will also help in minimizing financial loss associated with unsuitable flowability of CPB transported in the CPB delivery system besides reducing the risks of human loss, and the environmental and economic damages associated with the failure of CPB structures.

L'objectif de notre travail de développer des multi-matériaux de type sandwich acier/polymère/acier destinés au secteur automobile en vue de l'allègement des structures. Ce nouveau matériau doit satisfaire plusieurs critères, à savoir: i) grande déformabilité à froid en vue de l'emboutissage, ii) tenue au fluage à haute température (T=200°C, étape de cataphorèse), iii) tenue en milieu agressif (chaud, humide, brouillard salin). De plus, l'adhésion polymère-métal doit être maîtrisée en vue d'éliminer les phénomènes de délamination lors de l'emboutissage des tôles. Ce sandwich doit être réalisable sur une ligne industrielle dont la température maximale de complexage est limitée à 200°C. Si une solution à chacun de ces points particuliers peut être facilement apportée, la réponse à l'ensemble de ces critères par une formulation unique est beaucoup plus complexe. Nous nous sommes focalisés sur une formulation permettant de répondre au critère de tenue au fluage pour des températures supérieures à 200°C mais dont l'adhésion à chaud sur le métal (étape de complexage sur la ligne industrielle) doit être à inférieure à cette même température de 200°C. Pour cela nous avons développé une formulation à base de polymères immiscibles polyamide 11/polyoléfine fonctionnalisée anhydride maléique compatibilisés in-situ. Nos travaux ont donc porté sur l'optimisation de cette formulation, via le contrôle de la morphologie en vue de l'élaboration d'un film ayant les caractéristiques d'un fluide polymère à contrainte seuil d'écoulement tout en ayant les propriétés d'adhésion adéquate / The aim of this work is to develop multimaterials such as steel/polymer/steel composites for weight savings in automotive industry. To fully take advantage of properties of both steel and polymer materials, adhesion steel-polymer must be well controlled. Moreover, the composite must be compatible with processing on the industrial line and last not least, the structure must be flow resistant during the cataphoresis step (Painting process at 200°C for 30 minutes). This last condition is essential and our work will focuse on the development of compatibilized polymers blend made of polyamide 11 and polyolefin grafted maleic anhydride with yield stress properties. We successfully optimize the formulation via morphological control in order to develop a yield stress fluid with good adhesive properties

[pt] O aparecimento de tensão limite decorrente da gelificação de óleo parafínicos constitui um problema significativo em linhas submarinas nos sistemas de produção de petróleo em água profundas. Essencialmente, existem dois modos para garantir retorno da produção em oleodutos após longas paradas: aplicar um elevado diferencial de pressão suficiente para mover o gel no duto, reinício de produção, ou injetar um fluido misccível de baixa viscosidade, preferencialmente Newtoniano, na entrada do duto, processo denominado deslocamento de fluido. Nós investigamos os efeitos da tensão limite e da tixotropia no escoamento de fluidos não Newtonianos em dutos horizontais, considerando tanto o reinício de produção quanto o deslocamento de fluidos sem diferença de densidade. Tanto a tensão limite como as propriedades tixotrópicas dos óleos parafínicos foram simuladas reologicamente por fluidos base água, soluções de Carbopol e suspensões de Laponita. Os resultados experimentais e os estudos numéricos do deslocamento de fluidos com tensão limite sem diferença de densidade são apresentados. Três tipos distintos de escoamento, que pertencem a categoria deslocamento central, foram identificados nos experimentos e chamados de corrugado, ondulado e liso a depender do nível de variação da camada residual ao longo do duto. A transição entre esses regimes foi identificada como da razão entre a tensão inercial e a tensão característica do fluido viscoplástico. Além disso, a influência das concentrações de NaCl e Laponita nos parâmetros reológicos das suspensões de Laponita é detalhada e o impacto da tixotropia no reinício de produção de suspensões de Laponita foi analisada com base em dados experimentais. / [en] The yield stress appearance when gelation occurs in wax crude oils constitutes a significant problem in subsea flowline in deepwater oil production systems. In essence, there exist two stages in a pipeline flow restart after a long shutdown: apply a large enough differential pressure in order to mobilize the gel in the pipe, i.e. a process of fluid start-up or inject miscible fluid with low viscosity, preferably Newtonian, at the pipe inlet, to flush the gelled oil out of the pipe, i.e. a process of fluid displacement. We investigate yield stress and thixotropy effects over non-Newtonian fluid flows in a horizontal pipe, considering the fluid start- up and the fluid displacement in the isodense limit. The yield stress and thixotropic properties of waxy crude oils are rheologicaly simulated by water base fluids, Carbopol solutions and Laponite suspensions. The results of experimental and numerical studies of isodense displacement of a yield stress fluid are presented. Three distinct flow types belonging to this central displacement are identified in the experiments namely corrugated, wavy and smooth depending on the level of the residual layer variation along the pipe. The transition between these flow regimes is found to be a function of the ratio between the inertial stress and the characteristic viscous stress of the viscoplastic fluid. Besides, the influence of NaCl and Laponite concentrations in the rheological parameters of Laponite suspensions is detailed and the impact of thixotropy in the start-up of Laponite suspensions are analyzed based on experimental results.

Waxy crude oils (1/3 of oil produced worldwide), pumping through pipelines considered risky operation due to the crude wax content (15-40 wt.%) and to the temperature at which wax supersaturates and precipitates, leading to the danger of pipe blockage, eventually resulting, in multimillion dollars loss in production and maintenance. This research undertaken to develop operational strategy of waxy crude pipelines, considering the crude and crude gel properties and flow conditions. The research problem was approached by characterizing the crude gel with and without additives using chromatography (GC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), cross polarised microscopy (CPM), controlled stress and oscillatory shear rheology (CSR and OSR), the principal parameters being the crude temperature and the rate at which the crude was cooled. GC and DSC were useful in establishing wax composition, content and wax appearance temperature (WAT). Control stress rheometer proved to be the most appropriate as it measured the reduction in apparent viscosity at full production (10-50 s-1 shear rate), near shutdown (1 s-1 ) and yielding when the oil was statically cooled. On this basis, it was established that the wax inhibitor was the most effective. CPM revealed that only the wax inhibitor changed the structure of the gel, disrupting its otherwise knitted crystal network. Dilution with the light crude oil merely reduced the wax content and the pour point depressant reduced the gelling temperature. OSR provided a check on CSR and confirmed the gelation temperature measured. CSR provided the yield stress measured, it also provided comprehensive data that can be used for theoretical modelling of this complex flow. / Libyan Petroleum Institute, Libya

Preplaced aggregate concrete (PAC) is produced by grouting high workability cement based grouts among the voids of compacted coarse aggregate mass. Because of its low shrinkage, PAC has been used for many repair jobs like; tunnel lines, dams and bridge piers. Moreover, it has been used for underwater construction. Grout has a major effect on the properties of produced PAC and well defined grout controls the properties of resulted PAC. The effect of types and amount of powder materials, admixtures, sand and water content on the properties of fresh and hardened grout for the production of PAC have been investigated. Tests on hardened grout and PAC properties have also been carried out to investigate the most important effects. A correlation between hardened properties of grout and PAC has also been analyzed. Grout rheology using four different gradation sands at two different cement-sand and at different w/c ratios ratios has been identified experimentally; no added chemical admixtures or mineral additives had first employed, then superplasticizer (SP) was added at 2% and 1%, and finally a combination of 1% SP and pulverized fuel ash (Pfa) at 20% of the cement weight was employed for all mixes. Grout tests have included two point workability tests by the Viskomat NT, flow time funnel test, Colcrete flow meter test, and water bleeding test. After that, eighteen grout mixes with high workability were produced using three different sands at three w/c ratios and two c/s ratios with 1% SP and Pfa at 20% of the cement weight were designed. Eighteen hardened grout and PAC then produced and their compressive strength and sorptivity were tested. Grout rheology can be defined by the rheology of cement paste employed and the internal distance between sand particles. The effect of sand surface texture on grout rheology is important at very low internal distances. Fresh grout yield stress is the most important property which gives the same degree of sensitivity for all grouts regardless the material type and content used in the mix. There are strong relations between compressive strength of grout and PAC, but less correlation between them in sorptivity test because of the effect high quantity of coarse aggregate of PAC. Sorptivity of PAC is low comparing with different kinds of concrete suggesting its advantage for underwater construction.

Deux approches pour caractériser les milieux poreux en terme de distribution de taille de pores (DTP) sont développées au sein de l'équipe ECPS. Ce travail a pour but de confirmer expérimentalement leurs validités. A l'instar des autres méthodes utilisant l'intrusion du mercure, l'adsorption isotherme ou la thermoporosimétrie, la première méthode consiste à utiliser un fluide à seuil d'écoulement. En effet, l'utilisation de l'écoulement d'un fluide à seuil de type Herschel-Bulkley, au travers d'un poreux, en fonction du gradient de pression permet (en utilisant les solutions analytique et numérique du problème inverse) de déterminer la fonction de distribution de la taille de pores. La seconde méthode utilise l'admittance complexe d'un milieu poreux, mesurée à partir de la réponse en débit à une sollicitation harmonique du gradient de pression. Comme la fréquence de la sollicitation est reliée aux rayons des pores par le biais de la profondeur de pénétration hydrodynamique, l'admittance permet de retrouver la distribution de taille de pores par la résolution numérique du problème inverse associé. Ces deux techniques sont basées sur le modèle de faisceaux de capillaires parallèles employé dans la plupart des autres études qui traitent du même problème. Nos expériences s'appuient sur des milieux poreux calibrés. L'application de ces techniques aux milieux poreux réels se fait actuellement en collaboration avec le TREFLE de Bordeaux. Les résultats expérimentaux obtenus affirment clairement la validité et l'applicabilité de ces deux méthodes pour la caractérisation de la DTP. Il est désormais envisageable de les transférer pour un usage industriel. / Two approaches to characterize porous media in terms of pore size distribution (PSD) are developed within our ECPS team. The aim of this study is to experimentally confirm their validity. Like the other methods using mercury intrusion, adsorption isotherm or thermoporometry, the first method consists in the use of a fluid flow threshold. Indeed, the use of flow of a yield-stress fluid like those of Herschel-Bulkley's, through a porous media, versus the pressure gradient, permits (using the analytical and numerical solutions of the inverse problem) to determine the distribution function of its PSD. The second method uses the complex admittance of a porous medium, measured from the flow rate response to a harmonic pressure gradient. As the frequency of the sollicitation is related to the pore radius through the hydrodynamic penetration depth, the admittance allows to determine the PSD using numerical solution of the associated inverse problem. Both techniques are based on the parallel capillaries bundle model, as used in most of similar studies. Our experiments use calibrated porous media. The application of these techniques to real porous media is currently lead in collaboration with the TREFLE (Bordeaux). Our experimental results clearly confirm the validity and the applicability of these methods for the characterization of the PSD. It is now possible to transfer them for an industrial use.

Les méthodes expérimentales utilisées actuellement pour déterminer la distribution de taille des pores (DTP) dans les milieux poreux présentent des inconvénients, tels que par exemple, la toxicité des fluides employés (porosimétrie à mercure). La base théoriques d'une nouvelle méthode pour obtenir la DTP a été proposée dans la littérature. Celle-ci est fondée sur l'injection de fluides à seuil, caractérisés par une contrainte de cisaillement en deçà de laquelle ils ne s'écoulent pas. L'idée principale de ces travaux théoriques est que l'écoulement de fluides à seuil à travers un milieu poreux permet d'obtenir sa DTP à partir de la mesure des débits correspondant à différents gradients de pression Q(∇P). L'objectif du travail proposé ici est de présenter une nouvelle méthode d'exploitation des données expérimentales Q(∇P) permettant d'obtenir de façon simple, robuste et reproductible les DTPs des milieux poreux analysés. La démarche consiste à évaluer la contribution au débit total des nouveaux pores qui s'incorporent à l'écoulement entre deux valeurs de ∇P. Ces nouveaux pores sont caractérisés par un rayon représentatif qui est fonction de la contrainte seuil du fluide et de ∇P. L'importance de leur contribution au débit total par rapport à celle d'un seul pore donne le nombre de pores dans l'échantillon ayant ce rayon représentatif. Cette méthode est d'abord testée et validée avec des expériences générées numériquement. Ensuite, elle est utilisée pour exploiter des données provenant d'expériences de laboratoire réalisées avec de différents milieux poreux. Les résultats obtenus en termes de DTPs sont comparés avec ceux fournis par d'autres techniques: porosimétrie à mercure et microtomographie. / Current experimental methods used to determine pore size distributions (PSD)of porous media present several drawbacks such as toxicity of the employed fluids (e.g., mercury porosimetry). The theoretical basis of a new method to obtain the PSD by injecting yield stress fluids through porous media and measuring the flow rate Q at several pressure gradients ∇P was proposed in the literature. On the basis of these theoretical considerations,an intuitive approach to obtain PSD from Q(∇P) is presented in this work. It relies on considering the extra increment of Q when ∇P is increased, as a consequence of the pores of smaller radius newly incorporated to the flow. This procedure is first tested and validated on numerically generated experiments. Then, it is applied to exploit data coming from laboratory experiments and the obtained PSDs are compared to those deduced by mercury porosimetry and micro tomography.

Cette thèse expérimentale et numérique s’intéresse à l’écoulement à inertie négligeable d’un fluide newtonien et d’un fluide à seuil autour d’une plaque ou d’un cylindre en présence d’une paroi. Les efforts générés et les structures d’écoulement ont été particulièrement étudiés. Pour le fluide à seuil, l’étude est centrée sur le domaine des effets de seuil grands par rapport aux effets visqueux. Pour l’approche expérimentale, un dispositif a été conçu permettant de mesurer simultanément les forces de traînée et de portance en fonction de la vitesse et de la distance obstacle/paroi. Les fluides étudiés sont un sirop de glucose Newtonien et un gel de Carbopol considéré comme un fluide à seuil modèle. Ces matériaux ont été finement caractérisés du point de vue rhéologique. Des simulations numériques utilisant le modèle viscoplastique anélastique d’Herschel-Bulkley régularisé par le modèle de Papanastasiou ont été réalisées. Les résultats obtenus avec le fluide newtonien ont permis de valider l’installation expérimentale et l’approche numérique. Les effets de la contrainte seuil, de la distance paroi/obstacle, de la rhéofluidification, de l’angle d’inclinaison de la plaque sur les coefficients de traînée et de portance ont été examinés en détail. Le régime de lubrification a été étudié pour le cylindre expérimentalement et théoriquement. La morphologie de l’écoulement (zones rigides) et les grandeurs locales ont été montrées. Des solutions analytiques de la traînée et de la portance ont été proposées. Les comparaisons entre les résultats expérimentaux et numériques ainsi qu’avec les solutions issues de la plasticité de la mécanique des sols sont analysées. Les écarts sont discutés en termes d’influence de l’élasticité et de plasticité du fluide à seuil. / This experimental and numerical thesis deals with the creeping flow of a Newtonian fluid and a yield stress fluid around a plate or a cylinder in the presence of a wall. The generated forces and the flow structures have been particularly studied. The study focuses for the yield stress fluid on large yield stress effects compared to the viscous effects. For the experimental approach, a device has been designed to measure simultaneously the drag and lift forces as a function of velocity and obstacle / wall distance. The fluids studied are a Newtonian glucose syrup and a Carbopol gel considered as a yield stress fluid model. These materials have been finely characterized from the rheological point of view. Numerical simulations using the Herschel-Bulkley anelastic viscoplastic model regularized by the Papanastasiou model were carried out. The results obtained with the Newtonian fluid allowed to validate the experimental set-up and the numerical approach. The effects of the yield stress, the wall / obstacle distance, the power law index and the inclined plate on the drag and lift coefficients were carefully examined. The lubrication regime has been studied for the cylinder both experimentally and theoretically. The morphology of the flow (rigid zones) and the local field quantities have been shown. Analytical solutions of drag and lift have been proposed. Comparisons between the experimental and numerical results as well as the solutions resulting from the plasticity of soil mechanics are analyzed. Deviations are discussed in terms of the elasticity and plasticity influence of the yield stress fluid.

Des panaches sont connus pour migrer à travers le manteau ductile et quasi-Newtonien ; alors que les dikes se fracturent et se propagent dans la lithosphère solide. Cependant, la lithosphère est en fait visco-élastique. Afin de déterminer ce qui se passe dans ce cas complexe, nous avons réalisé une étude expérimentale et numérique sur le développement de panaches thermiques dans des solutions aqueuses de Carbopol, un gel de polymères formant un réseau continu d'éponges microscopiques. Ce fluide est rhéofluidifiant et présente un seuil de contrainte σ₀, de sorte que l'écoulement ne se produit que si la contrainte locale dépasse cette valeur critique σ₀. En dessous de cette valeur, le fluide agit comme un solide élastique. Les propriétés rhéologiques des solutions peuvent être systématiquement ajustées en variant la concentration de Carbopol. Le dispositif consiste en une source locale de chaleur de puissance constante placée au centre d'une cuve cubique. Selon la valeur du rapport entre la contrainte d'origine thermique et la contrainte seuil, Y₀, on peut observer trois régimes différents. A faible Y₀<Yc₁, aucun mouvement n'est détecté ; tandis que pour Yc₁<Y₀<Yc₂ une cellule se développe, puis évolue vers un panache pour Y₀>Yc₂. Nous montrons que les paramètres critiques (Yc₁,Yc₂) dépendent fortement de la géométrie du chauffage. Des mesures simultanées de température et de champs de vitesse montrent que la morphologie du panache ressemble à un doigt, contrairement à la forme de champignon rencontrée dans les fluides newtoniens. Utilisant des simulations numériques avec une description purement visqueuse, où la rhéologie du fluide est décrite par un modèle de Herschel-Bulkley régularisé, sont suffisantes pour rendre compte de la dynamique du panache. Une étude détaillée des paramètres indiquent que la dynamique du panache est gouvernée par la compétition entre la contrainte seuil, la contrainte induite par la flottabilité et les contraintes visqueuses. Nous avons identifié deux paramètres adimensionnés : le paramètre seuil Ψ comparant la contrainte induite par la flottabilité et la contrainte seuil, et le nombre de Bingham Bi comparant la contrainte seuil et les contraintes visqueuses. Un panache ne peut s'élever que si les deux paramètres sont supercritiques, i.e. la contrainte induite par la flottabilité et les contraintes visqueuses sont plus importantes que la contrainte seuil. Par conséquent, le panache peut s'arrêter avant d'atteindre la surface. Des lois d'échelles dans le conduit du panache ont été déterminées pour la vitesse, la température et la taille de la région cisaillée en régime permanent. Elles décrivent raisonnablement le comportement du conduit bien que seul l'effet rhéofluidifiant soit pris en compte. L'application de ces paramètres adimensionnés à la Terre contraignent significativement la limite de plasticité du manteau et de la lithosphère. La contrainte seuil maximale qui permet à une instabilité thermique de pénétrer dans la lithosphère ou le manteau supérieur est entre 100 kPa et 100 MPa, et elle dépend fortement de la taille et de l'anomalie de densité de l'intrusion. / Plumes are known to migrate through the ductile quasi-Newtonian mantle, while dikes fracture and propagate through the solid lithosphere. However, depending on the timescale, the lithosphere presents solid as well as viscous properties. To determine what happens in the complex case, where instabilities propagate through a visco-elastic matrix, we performed a combined study of laboratory experiments and numerical simulations. Here we investigate the development of thermal plumes in aqueous solutions of Carbopol, a polymer gel, forming a continuous network of micrometric sponges. This fluid is shear thinning and has a yield-stress σ₀, whereby flow occurs only if the local stress exceeds this critical value σ₀. Below this value, the fluid acts as an elastic solid. The rheological properties of the solutions can be systematically varied by varying the Carbopol concentration. The setup consists of a localized heat-source operated at constant power, placed at the centre of a square tank. Depending on the ratio of the thermally induced stresses and the yield stress, Y₀, three different regimes may be obtained. For low Y₀<Yc₁ no motion occurs, whereas for Yc₁<Y₀<Yc₂ a cell develops, that evolves into a plume for Y₀>Yc₂. We show that the critical parameters (Yc₁,Yc₂) strongly depend on the geometry of the heating. Combined temperature and velocity field measurements show that the morphology of the plume resembles a finger, contrary to the mushroom-like shape encountered in Newtonian fluids. Numerical simulations using a purely viscous description, where the rheology of the fluid is described by a regularized Herschel-Bulkley model, are sufficient to capture the plume dynamics. A detailed parametric study shows that the plume dynamics are governed by the interplay between yield stress, buoyancy induced stress and viscous stresses. We identify two non-dimensional parameters: the yield parameter Ψ comparing the buoyancy induced stress to the yield stress, and the Bingham number Bi comparing the yield stress to the viscous stresses. We show that a plume can rise only if both parameters are supercritical, i.e. if buoyancy induced stress and viscous stresses each overcome the yield stress. Therefore the plume may come to a halt before it reaches the surface. We propose scaling laws for the plume stem velocity, temperature and the size of the shear zone in the steady state. We show that the scaling laws describe the behaviour in the plume stem reasonably well, if the yield stress is neglected and only the shear thinning behaviour is taken into account. Applying the non-dimensional parameters to Earth places severe constraints on the strength of mantle and lithosphere. The maximum strength that allows for thermal instabilities to penetrate the lithosphere or upper mantle is in between 100 kPa and 100 MPa, and strongly depends on the size and buoyancy of the anomaly.