The microstructure and rheology of carbon nanotube suspensions

This paper gives a brief overview of microstructure and rheology that have been observed for a range of carbon nanotube (CNT) suspensions. In general, untreated CNT suspensions show a much higher level of observable optical microstructure reflecting their preference to aggregate; they also show higher levels of viscoelasticity over treated CNT suspensions. An unexpected Helical Band texture for untreated CNTs is reported together with a series of parallel plate optical observations showing a broad spectrum of behaviour for different shear conditions. Both steady shear and linear viscoelastic data are presented for treated and untreated systems.

[1]  M. M. Cross.  Rheology of non-Newtonian fluids: A new flow equation for pseudoplastic systems , 1965 .

[2]  Jae Ryoun Youn,et al.  Influence of dispersion states of carbon nanotubes on physical properties of epoxy nanocomposites , 2005 .

[3]  Francisco Chinesta,et al.  Rheological modeling of carbon nanotube aggregate suspensions , 2008 .

[4]  J. Vermant,et al.  Flow-induced structure in colloidal suspensions , 2005 .

[5]  D. Litchfield,et al.  THE RHEOLOGY OF HIGH ASPECT RATIO NANO- PARTICLE FILLED LIQUIDS , 2006 .

[6]  P. Olmsted,et al.  The Specific Work of Flow as a Criterion for Orientation in Polymer Crystallization , 2008 .

[7]  E. Grulke,et al.  Optical measurements of structure and orientation in sheared carbon-nanotube suspensions , 2003 .

[8]  Jianhua Xu,et al.  Shear and extensional rheology of carbon nanofiber suspensions , 2005 .

[9]  Soft polymeric materials near the transition from liquid to solid state , 1999 .

[10]  M. Shaffer,et al.  Optical microstructure and viscosity enhancement for an epoxy resin matrix containing multiwall carbon nanotubes , 2006 .

[11]  James M Tour,et al.  Overcoming the insolubility of carbon nanotubes through high degrees of sidewall functionalization. , 2004, Chemistry.

[12]  F. Chinesta,et al.  Filament stretching of carbon nanotube suspensions , 2008 .

[13]  M. Smoluchowski.  Versuch einer mathematischen Theorie der Koagulationskinetik kolloider Lösungen , 1918 .

[14]  A. Ma,et al.  Experimental observation on the flow-induced assembly of Carbon nanotube suspensions to form helical bands , 2007 .

[15]  Eugene M. Terentjev,et al.  Dispersion rheology of carbon nanotubes in a polymer matrix , 2006 .

[16]  J. Mewis,et al.  Yielding in weakly flocculated systems , 1984 .

[17]  J. Tour,et al.  Unbundled and Highly Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes from Aqueous Reactions , 2003 .

[18]  R. Larson.  The Structure and Rheology of Complex Fluids , 1998 .

[19]  E. Grulke,et al.  Elastic flow instability in nanotube suspensions. , 2004, Physical review letters.

[20]  P. Janmey,et al.  Viscoelasticity of single wall carbon nanotube suspensions. , 2004, Physical review letters.

[21]  C. Petrie,et al.  The rheology of fibre suspensions , 1999 .

[22]  S. Advani,et al.  Rheology of multiwall carbon nanotube suspensions , 2007 .

[23]  Donald R Paul,et al.  Rheological behavior of multiwalled carbon nanotube/polycarbonate composites , 2002 .

[24]  E. Grulke,et al.  Orientation of carbon nanotubes in a sheared polymer melt , 2003 .