Model filled rubber. II. Particle composition dependence of suspension rheology

Monodisperse size colloidal particles varying in chemical composition were synthesized by emulsifier‐free emulsion polymerization. Using a stress‐controlled rheometer, the rheological behavior of colloidal suspensions in a low molecular weight liquid polysulfide was investigated. All suspensions exhibited shear thinning behavior. The shear viscosity, dynamic moduli, and yield stress increased as interactions between particles and matrix increased. The rheological properties associated with network buildup in the suspensions were sensitively monitored by a kinetic recovery experiment. We propose that interfacial interactions by polar and hydrogen bonding between particles and matrix strongly promote affinity of matrix polymer to the filler particles, resulting in adsorption or entanglement of polymer chains on the filler surface. A network structure was formed consisting of particles with an immobilized polymer layer on the particle surface with each particle floc acting as a temporary physical crosslinking site. As the interfacial interaction increases, the adsorbed layer thickness on the filler particles, hence, the effective particle volume fraction, increases. As a result, the rheological properties were enhanced in the order PS < PMMA < PSVP. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 815–824, 1999     

Improving titanium dioxide dispersion in water through surface functionalization by a dicarboxylic acid

In this work, we show evidence of improving the dispersion of titanium dioxide particles in water. This is observed in the titanium dioxide-water colloid by the shear-thinning flow behavior in rheological measurements induced by the functionalization of a glutaric acid layer on the surface of titanium dioxide particles. The characterization of the layer was achieved by using infrared spectroscopy and ^13?C nuclear magnetic resonance. Rheological measurements corroborated that functionalization of TiO₂ particles decreases the rheological properties such as viscosity measurements at a constant shear rate in two orders of magnitude compared with the pure TiO₂ in suspensions. We present the results as a novel strategy to limit the formation of agglomerates in these colloidal suspensions, and this will be of great use in applications in the paints field and printing technologies.     

Effect of pH and Salt on Rheological Properties of Aerosil Suspensions

Ionic strength and pH will influence the zeta potential of suspended particles, and consequently particle interactions and rheological properties as well. In this study the rheological properties and aggregation behaviour of Aerosil particles dispersed in aqueous solutions with various pH and salt concentration were studied. The potential energy was estimated by the DLVO theory and short range hydration forces and compared to the experimentally determined zeta potential. The strongest attraction between particles occurs at the isoelectric point (pH 4) and resulted in large aggregates, which gave relatively higher values of viscosity, yield stress, moduli, and shear thinning effects. The relative viscosity as a function of volume fraction was fitted to the Krieger and Dougherty model for all the suspensions. Oscillation measurements showed that the suspensions display elastic behaviour at low pH and viscous behavior at high pH. Furthermore, suspensions with high salt content had higher storage moduli. A power law dependency of storage moduli with volume fraction could be used to indicate the interaction strength between particles.     

Influence of poly(ethylene oxide) brushes on the rheological properties of MgO colloidal suspensions in water

A combined experimental and multiscale simulation study of the influence of polymer brush modification on interactions of colloidal particles and rheological properties of dense colloidal suspensions has been conducted. Our colloidal suspension is comprised of polydisperse MgO colloidal particles modified with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) brushes in water. The shear stress as a function of shear rate was determined experimentally and from multiscale simulations for a suspension of 0.48 volume fraction colloids at room temperature for both bare and PEO-modified MgO colloids. Bare MgO particles exhibited strong shear thinning behavior and a yield stress on the order of several Pascals in both experiments and simulations. In contrast, simulations of PEO-modified colloids revealed no significant yielding or shear thinning and viscosity only a few times larger than solvent viscosity. This behavior is inconsistent with results obtained from experiments where modification of colloids with PEO brushes formed by adsorption of PEO-based comb-branched chains resulted in relatively little change in suspension rheology compared to bare colloids over the range of concentration of comb-branch additives investigated. We attribute this discrepancy in rheological properties between simulation and experiment for PEO-modified colloidal suspensions to heterogeneous adsorption of the comb-branch polymers.     

EFFECT OF PAN-MILLING ON RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF HIGH DENSITY POLYETHYLENE*

The effect of pan-milling on the rheological properties of high density polyethylene (HDPE) was studied. Aninnovative milling apparatus, viz. an inlaid pan-mill, was used. Melt indexer, capillary rheometer, Haake Rheocord 90 single-screw extruder and Brabender rheometer were used to evaluate the rheologieal properties of HDPE. HDPE with higher initialmolecular weight and larger particle size was easier to degrade under pan-milling stress, as indicated by the melt index.Pressure oscillation in capillary flow occurred at significantly higher shear stress and shear rate for milled HDPE than forunmilled HDPE. The apparent shear viscosity of HDPE decreased with increasing times of milling. After milling, the flowactivation energy decreased and thus the sensitivity of viscosity to temperature was reduced. Die pressure and torque duringsingle screw extrusion were reduced significantly after milling. Plasticizing time as measured in a Brabander mixer decreasedmarkedly with increasing milling times.     

The effect of wall depletion on the rheology of microfibrillated cellulose water suspensions by optical coherence tomography

Rheology of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) water suspensions was characterized with a rotational rheometer, augmented with optical coherence tomography (OCT). To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time the behavior of MFC in the rheometer gap was characterized by this real-time imaging method. Two concentrations, 0.5 and 1 wt% were used, the latter also with 10^?3 and 10^?2 M NaCl. The aim was to follow the structure of the suspensions in a rotational rheometer during the measurements and observe wall depletion and other factors that can interfere with the rheological results. The stepped flow measurements were performed using a transparent cylindrical measuring system and combining the optical information to rheological parameters. OCT allows imaging in radial direction from the outer geometry boundary to the inner geometry boundary making both the shear rate profile and the structure of the suspension visible through the rheometer gap. Yield stress and maximum wall stress were determined by start-up of steady shear and logarithmic stress ramp methods and they both reflected in the stepped flow measurements. Above yield stress, floc size was inversely proportional to shear rate. Below the yield stress, flocs adhered to each other and the observed apparent constant shear stress was controlled by flow in the depleted boundary layer. With higher ionic strength (10^?2 M NaCl), the combination of yield stress and wall depletion favored the formation of vertical, cylindrical, rotating floc structures (rollers) coupled with a thicker water layer originating at the suspension—inner cylinder boundary at low shear rates.     

An experimental study on the rheological properties of aqueous ceria dispersions

The rheological properties of aqueous ceria dispersions are studied experimentally. In particular, the effects of particle concentration, temperature, pH, and ionic strength are discussed. If the volume fraction is below 2%, ceria slurry exhibits Newtonian behavior, and for higher volume fractions, shear-thinning behavior is observed. The effect of temperature on the behavior of ceria slurry is found to be pH-dependent. If pHIEP, the viscosity slightly increases with increased temperature. A shift of IEP to a higher value of pH was observed for ionic strength, even for indifferent electrolytes. The influence of pH on the rheological properties of ceria slurry decreases if the ionic strength is high. The pH at which viscosity and yield stress are maximum coincide with IEP only for low ionic strengths. The slopes of acidic and basic branches of viscosity against pH and yield stress against pH curves are not symmetrical at high ionic strength, and the alkaline branch deviates significantly from Hunter's theory.     

Rheology and UV protection properties of suspensions of fine titanium dioxides in a silicone oil

Ultrafine particles of titanium dioxide (TiO2) are very attractive as a UV protection ingredient in cosmetic products. The UV-scattering behavior of TiO2 suspensions in a silicone oil are studied in relation to rheological properties. To control the dispersion stability of suspensions, two types of polyether-modified silicones are used as dispersants. When the suspensions are prepared with branch-type dispersants in which the polyether groups are incorporated as side chains along the backbone, the flow is shear-thinning even at low shear rates. The appearance of plateaus in the frequency-dependence curves of storage modulus implies the solidlike responses. On the other hand, the suspensions prepared with linear conformation dispersants, in which the silicone group and polyether group are alternately repeated in one long chain, are Newtonian at low shear rates. The suspensions are regarded as liquids, because the storage modulus decreases rapidly in the low-frequency region. The suspension rheology is strongly associated with flocculated structures that are primarily controlled by the interparticle attractions. The differences in rheological behavior can be explained by the differences in the adsorbed conformation of dispersant silicones. From optical measurements, it is confirmed that UV scattering increases with decreasing flocculation degree. Therefore, good agreement is established between rheological properties and UV protection ability.     

Electrorheological suspensions of laponite in oil: rheometry studies

We have studied the effect of an external direct current (DC) electric field ( approximately 1 kV/mm) on the rheological properties of colloidal suspensions consisting of aggregates of laponite particles in a silicone oil. Microscopy observations show that, under application of an electric field greater than a triggering electric field Ec approximately 0.6 kV/mm, laponite aggregates assemble into chain- and/or columnlike structures in the oil. Without an applied electric field, the steady-state shear behavior of such suspensions is Newtonian-like. Under application of an electric field larger than Ec, it changes dramatically as a result of the changes in the microstructure: a significant yield stress is measured, and under continuous shear the fluid is shear-thinning. The rheological properties, in particular the dynamic and static shear stress, were studied as a function of particle volume fraction for various strengths (including null) of the applied electric field. The flow curves at constant shear rate can be scaled with respect to both the particle fraction and electric field strength onto a master curve. This scaling is consistent with simple scaling arguments. The shape of the master curve accounts for the system's complexity; it approaches a standard power-law model at high Mason numbers. Both dynamic and static yield stresses are observed to depend on the particle fraction Phi and electric field E as PhibetaEalpha, with alpha approximately 1.85 and beta approximately 1 and 1.70 for the dynamic and static yield stresses, respectively. The yield stress was also determined as the critical stress at which there occurs a bifurcation in the rheological behavior of suspensions that are submitted to a constant shear stress; a scaling law with alpha approximately 1.84 and beta approximately 1.70 was obtained. The effectiveness of the latter technique confirms that such electrorheological (ER) fluids can be studied in the framework of thixotropic fluids. The method is very reproducible; we suggest that it could be used routinely for studying ER fluids. The measured overall yield stress behavior of the suspensions may be explained in terms of standard conduction models for electrorheological systems. Interesting prospects include using such systems for guided self-assembly of clay nanoparticles.     

Synthesis and characterization of cubic cobalt oxide nanocomposite fluids

Narrow size distribution cubic Co₃O₄ nanoparticles were synthesized and rheological properties of suspensions of the cubes in oligomeric polyethylene glycol (PEG) were explored over a range of particle volume fractions and rotational shear flow conditions. At low and high particle volume fractions, the relative viscosity of the suspensions is described by a Krieger–Dougherty formula with an intrinsic viscosity consistent with expectations for suspensions of ideal cuboids. At intermediate to high particle loadings, the suspensions manifest complex rheological behavior, including shear thinning and shear-thickening features. These observations are discussed in terms of the charge carried by the cubes and the shear rate/volume fraction dependency of the transition from shear thinning to shear thickening.     

Equilibrium properties of reversibly flocculated dispersions

The structure of sonic flocculated dispersions can be changed reversibly by means of shearing. Often the changes are not instantaneous. The resulting shear-history effect gives rise to a complex but interesting rheological behaviour. Using non-aqueous suspensions of fumed silica, the rheological equilibrium properties of such systems are investigated. To change the floc structure, the water content of the particles is altered. As well as the steady-state shear viscosity, the equilibrium modulus and the yield stress are measured. Various techniques are compared. The effect of concentration on the equilibrium properties is used to test some structural models. The concentration dependence is best described by a power-law relation, the power being identical for modulus and yield stress. These results compare well with some theoretical predictions. Contrary to the assumptions used in the modelling, the yield stress is often dominated by kinetic phenomena. This shortcoming also shows up in the predictions for the critical strain.     

Dynamic mechanical properties of suspensions of micellar casein particles

Small micellar casein particles, so-called submicelles, were obtained by removing colloidal calcium phosphate from native casein by adding sodium polyphosphate. Aqueous submicelle suspensions were characterized using light scattering and rheology as a function of concentration and temperature. The casein submicelles behave like soft spheres that jam at a critical concentration (C(c)) of about 100 g L(-1). The viscosity does not diverge at C(c), but increases sharply, similarly to that of multiarm star polymers. C(c) increases weakly with increasing temperature, which leads to a strong decrease of the viscosity close to and above C(c). Concentrated submicelle suspensions show strong shear-thinning above a critical shear rate and the shear stress becomes independent of the shear rate. The critical shear rates at different temperatures and concentrations are inversely proportional to the zero-shear viscosity. At much higher shear rates, the shear stress fluctuates strongly in time indicating inhomogeneous flow. The frequency dependence of casein submicelle suspensions is characterized by elastic behavior at high frequencies (concentrations) and viscous behavior at low frequencies (concentrations).     

Study of a shear thickening fluid: the suspensions of monodisperse polystyrene microspheres in polyethylene glycol

The monodisperse polystyrene (PS) microspheres were prepared by dispersion polymerization. The rheological properties of shear thickening fluid (STF) based on PS microspheres dispersing in polyethylene glycol with different concentrations were studied through the steady and oscillatory shear at different temperatures, respectively. All suspensions successively present the first shear thinning, the shear thickening, and the second shear thinning. The experimental results indicate that the shear thickening behavior of STF is controlled by the concentration of PS microspheres and temperature, as changed from continuous shear thickening (CST) to discontinuous shear thickening (DST) with increasing solid content or decreasing temperature. The STF is affected by shear rate, temperature, and the viscosity of the dispersed medium, and it is reversible absolutely and presents transient response ability. Both CST and DST behave as dilatancy. The PS microsphere aggregations formed under shear stress may result in the shear thickening in STFs.     

Properties of emulsions and free emulsion (Aqueous) films stabilized with hexylamine-modified silica

The type and stability of emulsions, as well as the stability and thickness of free aqueous emulsion films stabilized with Aerosil-hexylamine mixtures, have been studied. The rheological characteristics (dynamic yield stress, elasticity modulae, and viscosity) have been measured for suspensions from which emulsions and films have been prepared. It has been shown that the properties of the films depend on the rheological properties of the suspensions.     

Effect of homogenization (microfluidization) process parameters in mechanical production of micro- and nanofibrillated cellulose on its rheological and morphological properties

The rheological properties of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC)/nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) suspensions have an important role during processing and mixing. In this work, the process parameters for MFC/NFC production within a microfluidizer (i.e., the size of interaction chamber and number of passes) were varied to investigate the influences on morphology, zeta potential, chemical properties and rheological features including viscosity, creep, strain recovery and yield stress behavior. The stability and appropriate viscosity of the fiber suspensions can be controlled by optimizing the processing conditions, resulting in a reduction in fiber diameter and most negative zeta potential value. The viscosity increased with higher amount of fibrillation by using a smaller chamber or higher number of passes, but intermediate plateau values are characteristic for temporary aggregation and breaking-up of the fiber network. The creep response and yield stress have been described by parameters of the Burger model and Herschel–Bulkley model, respectively, showing a more prominent effect on yield stress of chamber size than number of passes. The network formation leads to lower creep compliance and step-like strain recovery. The transition from gel-like to liquid-like behavior as characterized by the dynamic yield point at a specific strain, is almost independent of the processing conditions. Most important, the total number of passes applied in production can be directly related to the rotational Péclet number, which combines rheological and morphological data.     

Thixotropic properties of aqueous suspensions containing cationic starch and aluminum magnesium hydrotalcite-like compound

The rheological properties of aqueous suspensions consisting of cationic starch (CS) and positively charged aluminum magnesium hydrotalcite-like compound (HTlc) were investigated. Special emphasis was placed on the thixotropic phenomena. With the increase of mass ratio (R) of HTlc to CS, the equilibrium viscosity (eta(eq)) and the consistency coefficient (m) values of the suspensions increase in the range of neutral and alkaline pH (higher than 6.5) while decrease in the range of acid pH (lower than 6.5). With the increase of pH value, the eta(eq) and m values of the suspensions in the R range of 0-0.08 studied increase initially and then decrease, appearing a maximum value at about pH 7.41+/-0.25. The CS/HTlc suspensions display viscid character and the yield point of the suspensions was not observed except the suspension with R=0.08 in the pH range of 7.66-9.70, which showed a yield point and viscoelasticity. The CS/HTlc suspensions may display different thixotropic types: negative, complex or positive thixotropy, depending on pH and R value. The thixotropic type of the CS/HTlc suspension may be transformed from negative (pure CS solution), through complex (R=0.02), into positive thixotropy (R=0.05 and 0.08) with the increase of R in the studied R range of 0-0.08, and the thixotropic strength of the suspensions increases initially and then decreases with pH value in the pH range studied. The mechanism of the thixotropic phenomenon is discussed.     

Study on laminar viscosity and zero shear viscosity of latex systems

The flowing nature and rheological properties of polymethyl methacrylate latex systems in a coaxial cylinder viscometer were studied on the basis of laminar shear flow model and rheological experimental data. The physical meaning of laminar viscosity (eta(i,j)) and zero shear viscosity (eta(0)) were described. We assumed that laminar shear flows depended on position and shear time, so microrheological parameters were the function of position and shear time. eta(i,j) was the viscosity of any shear sheet i between two neighboring laminar shear flows at time t; j was denoted as j=t/Deltat; and Deltat was the interacting time of two particles or two laminar shear flows. tau(i,j) and gamma(i,j) were shear stress and shear rate of any shear sheet i at j moment. According to Newton regulation tau(i,j)=eta(i,j)gamma(i,j), apparent viscosity eta(a) should be a statistically mean value of j shear sheets laminar viscosity at j moment, i.e., eta(a)= summation operator(i=j)eta(i,j)gamma(i,j)/ summation operator(i=j)gamma(i,j). eta(0) was defined as shear viscosity between a laminar shear flow and a still fluid surface, i.e., eta(0)=(tau(i,j)/gamma(i,j))(j-i-->0). These new ideas described above may be helpful in the study of the micromechanisms of latex particle systems and worthy of more research.     

Structural network theory for a filled polymer melt in large amplitude oscillatory shear

The large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) behavior of a high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe resin containing 2% carbon black has been measured with a sliding plate rheometer incorporating a shear stress transducer. We have evaluated a structural network theory recently proposed by De Kee and Chan Man Fong for suspensions, in LAOS. This model provides for the creation of junctions due to an imposed flow field, and has been proposed as a generalization of the Liu kinetic rate equation, to model the complex behavior of suspensions. A new model, also based on the transient network concept, is proposed for filled polymer melts, and has the desirable feature of separating the effects of the filler material from the entanglement kinetics of the pure polymer. Both models are able to fit the steady shear viscosity data measured for this material. We find that both models are capable of predicting the LAOS behavior of this material, except for severe conditions.     

熔体中转变对四氟乙烯-六氟丙烯共聚物熔体流变性能的影响

用差示扫描量热仪与扭辨分析检出了四氟乙烯-六氟丙烯共聚物熔体中的转变。为了阐明转变的性质,用毛细管流变仪和微型平板粘度计研究了其熔体粘度的温度依赖性。发现,当温度上升到转变温度附近,熔体粘度先升高,然后下降,其粘度行为与热致型小分子液晶相似。但用偏光显微镜观察FEP共聚物熔体,未发现双折射现象。根据实验结果对转变的机制提出了解释。