Rheology of attractive emulsions

We show how attractive interactions dramatically influence emulsion rheology. Unlike the repulsive case, attractive emulsions below random close packing, ${\phi }_{\text{RCP}}$, can form soft gel-like elastic solids. However, above ${\phi }_{\text{RCP}}$, attractive and repulsive emulsions have similar elasticities. Such compressed attractive emulsions undergo an additional shear-driven relaxation process during yielding. Our results suggest that attractive emulsions begin to yield at weak points through the breakage of bonds, and, above ${\phi }_{\text{RCP}}$, also undergo droplet configurational rearrangements.