A study of some of the rheological properties of concentrated polystyrene latices

Monodisperse latices form highly ordered but liquid-like structured dispersions at moderate to high concentrations. The rheological measurements show such systems to be viscoelastic. Shear wave propagation and creep compliance measurements have been carried out as a function of volume fraction using polystyrene latices in dilute electrolyte. These measurements enabled the high frequency limiting modulus and the zero shear rate viscosity to be obtained.The data are compared with predictions from models based on the perturbation of ordered particle structures, the magnitude of the particle pair potentials and the restricted diffusive motion of particles in the structures.