Abstract
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.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Hobbie EK, Wang H, Kim H, Han CC, Grulke EA (2003a) Optical measurements of structure and orientation in sheared carbon-nanotube suspensions. Review of Scientific Instruments 74:1244–1250
Hobbie EK, Wang H, Kim H, Lin-Gibson S, Grulke EA (2003b) Orientation of carbon nanotubes in a sheared polymer melt. Phys Fluids 15:1196–1202
Lin-Gibson S, Pathak JA, Grulke EA, Wang H, Hobbie EK (2004) Elastic flow instability in nanotube suspensions. Phys Rev Lett 92:483021–483024
Rahatekar SS, Koziol KKK, Butler SA, Elliott JA, Shaffer MSP, Mackley MR, Windle AH (2006) Optical microstructure and viscosity enhancement for an epoxy resin matrix containing multi-wall carbon nanotubes. J Rheol 50:599–610
Pötschke P, Fornes TD, Paul DR (2002) Rheological behavior of multiwalled carbon nanotube/polycarbonate composites. Polymer 43:3247–3255
Song YS, Youn JR (2005) Influence of dispersion states of carbon nanotubes on physical properties of epoxy nanocomposites. Carbon 43:1378–1385
Saib A, Bednarz L, Daussin R, Bailly C, Lou X, Thomassin JM, Pagnoulle C, Detrembleur C, Jérôme R, Huynen I (2006) Carbon nanotube composites for broadband microwave absorbing materials. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech 54:2745–2754
Fan Z, Advani SG (2007) Rheology of multiwall carbon nanotube suspensions. J Rheol 51:585–604
Ma AWK, Chinesta F, Tuladhar T, Mackley MR (2008a) Filament stretching of carbon nanotube suspensions. Rheol Acta, published online
Ma AWK, Chinesta F, Mackley MR (2008b) Rheological modelling of carbon nanotube aggregate suspensions. J Rheol, submitted
Ma AWK, Chinesta F, Mackley MR (2008c) The rheology and modelling of chemically treated carbon nanotube suspensions. J Rheol (submitted)
Litchfield DW, Baird DG (2006) The rheology of high aspect ratio nano-particle filled liquids in binding, D. M., Walters, K. (eds.) Rheology Reviews. The British Society of Rheology
Ma AWK, Malcolm MR, Rahatekar SS (2007) Experimental observation on the flow-induced assembly of carbon nanotube suspensions to form Helical Bands. Rheol Acta 46:979–987
Smoluchowski M (1917) Versuch einer mathematischen Theorie der Koagulationskinetik kolloider Lösungen. Z Phys Chem 92:129–168
Vermant J, Solomon MJ (2005) Flow-induced structure in colloidal suspensions. J Phys Condens Matter 17:R187–R216
Mykhaylyk OO, Chambon P, Graham RS, Fairclough JPA, Olmsted PD, Ryan AJ (2008) The specific work of flow as a criterion for orientation in polymer crystallisation. Macromolecules 41:1901–1904
Dyke CA, Tour JM (2004) Overcoming the insolubility of carbon nanotubes through high degrees of sidewall functionalization. Chem Eur J 10:812–817
Dyke CA, Tour JM (2003) Unbundled and highly functionalized carbon nanotubes from aqueous reactions. Nano Lett. 3:1215–1218
Ma AWK (2006) The rheology, microstructure and film processing of carbon nanotube suspensions. Certificate of Postgraduate Study Dissertation, University of Cambridge
Cross MM (1965) Rheology of non-Newtonian fluids: a new flow equation for pseudo-plastic systems. J Colloid Interface Sci 20:417–437
Xu J, Chatterjee S, Koelling KW, Wang Y, Bechtel SE (2005) Shear and extensional rheology of carbon nanofibers suspensions. Rheo Acta 44:537–562
Huang YY, Ahir SV, Terentjev EM (2006) Dispersion rheology of carbon nanotubes in a polymer matrix. Phys Rev B 73:1254221–12542219
Hough LA, Islam MF, Janmey PA, Yodh AG (2004) Viscoelasticity of single wall carbon nanotube suspensions. Phys Rev Lett 93:1681021–1681024
Amari T, Watanabe K (1980) Stress relaxation of carbon black-linseed oil suspensions. J Soc Rheol Jpn 8:80–83
Mewis J, Meire C (1984) Yielding in weakly flocculated systems. In:Mena B, García-Rejón A, Rangel-Nafaille C (eds) Advances in Rheology—Volume 2: Fluids. Elsevier
Winter HH (1999) Soft polymeric materials near the transition from liquid to solid state. Korea-Australia Rheol J 11:275–278
Petrie CJS (1999) The rheology of fibre suspensions. J Non-Newton Fluid Mech 87:369–402
Larson RG (1999) The Structure and Rheology of Complex Fluids: 261–355. Oxford University Press, New York
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ma, A.W.K., Mackley, M.R. & Chinesta, F. The microstructure and rheology of carbon nanotube suspensions. Int J Mater Form 1, 75–81 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12289-008-0375-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12289-008-0375-7