Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Thixotropic behavior and particulate aggregation in a suspension of carbon nanotubes

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Korea-Australia Rheology Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present study dealt with the evaluation of the particulate aggregation in a suspension of multi-walled carbon nanotubes using fractal theory and rheological properties including thixotropy. The multi-walled carbon nanotubes are dispersed in Newtonian glycerol in the concentration range between 0.2 and 0.45 wt%. Rheological measurement was performed for the suspension at various dispersion times up to 300 min. The suspension showed thixotropy, shear-thinning behavior, and yield stress. It also exhibited plateaus of storage modulus in frequency and strain sweep tests. As the dispersion time increases, thixotropy, low-shear viscosities, and yield stress increase, and then their increasing rates slow down. Suspension’s electrical conductivity also showed similar behavior as that of thixotropy with the dispersion time. Viscoelastic behavior was combined with a fractal concept to provide the fractal dimensions of the flocs in the suspension at various dispersion times. The fractal dimension tends to decrease with the dispersion time. Conclusively it is interpreted that as the dispersion proceeds flocs become smaller and chain-like, then the reduced and thinned flocs build the wider range of network structures at rest state.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Armstrong MJ, Beris AN, Rogers SA, Wagner NJ (2017) Dynamic shear rheology and structure kinetics modeling of a thixotropic carbon black suspension. Rheol Acta 56:811–824

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Barnes HA (1997) Thixotropy—a review. J Non Newtonian Fluid Mech 70:1–33

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Buscall R, Mills PD, Goodwin JW, Lawson D (1988) Scaling behavior of the rheology of aggregate networks formed from colloidal particles. J Chem Soc Faraday Trans 1(84):4248–4260

    Google Scholar 

  4. Choi JH, Lee C, Park S, Hwang M, Embleton TJ, Ko K, Jo M, Saqib KS, Yun J, Jo M, Son Y, Oh P (2023) Improved electrochemical performance using well-dispersed carbon nanotubes as conductive additive in the Ni-rich positive electrode of lithium-ion batteries. Electrochem Commun 146:107419

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Du F, Scognia RC, Zhou W, Brand S, Fisher JE, Winey KI (2004) Nanotube network in polymer nanocomposites: rheology and electrical conductivity. Macromolecules 37:9048–9055

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Eggersdorfer MI, Kadau D, Herrmann HJ, Pratsinis SE (2010) Fragmentation and restructuring of soft-agglomerates under shear. J Colloid Interface Sci 342:261–268

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Fan Z, Advani SG (2007) Rheology of multiwall carbon nanotube suspensions. J Rheol 51:585–604

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Hobbie EK, Fry DJ (2007) Rheology of concentrated carbon nanotube suspensions. J Chem Phys 126:124907

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Huang YY, Ahir SV, Terentjev EM (2006) Dispersion rheology of carbon nanotubes in a polymer matrix. Phys Rev B 73:125422

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Jullien R, Botet R (1987) Aggregation and fractal aggregates. World Scientific, Singapore

    Google Scholar 

  11. Khalkhal F, Carreau PJ (2011) Scaling behavior of the elastic properties of non-dilute MWCNT-epoxy suspensions. Rheol Acta 50:717–728

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Khalkhal F, Carreau PJ, Ausias G (2011) Effect of flow history on linear viscoelastic properties and the evolution of the structure of multiwalled carbon nanotube suspensions in an epoxy. J Rheol 55:153–175

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Kim D, Koo S (2020) Rheological estimation of aggregate size for a colloidal suspension of carbon black particles. Korea Aust Rheol J 32:301–308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Kim MH, Kwon SH, Choi HJ (2019) Effects of dispersion state on rheological and electrical characteristics of concentrated multiwalled carbon nanotube suspensions. Korea Aust Rheol J 31:179–186

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Larson RG, Wei Y (2019) A review of thixotropy and its rheological modeling. J Rheol 63:477–501

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Lee D, Koo S (2022) Aggregation of carbon nanotubes dispersed in a liquid mixture with polymeric dispersant and elastic properties of the dispersion. Polymer (Korea) 32:301–308

    Google Scholar 

  17. Lin MY, Lindsay HM, Weitz DA, Ball RC, Klein R, Meakin P (1989) Universality in colloid aggregation. Nature 339:360–362

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Ma AWK, Yearsley KM, Chinesta F, Mackley MR (2008) A review of the microstructure and rheology of carbon nanotube suspensions. Proc Inst Mech Eng N 222:71–94

    Google Scholar 

  19. Meakin P (1987) Fractal aggregates. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 28:249–331

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Mewis J, Wagner NJ (2012) Colloidal suspension rheology. Cambridge press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  21. Mujumdar A, Beris AN, Metzner AB (2002) Transient phenomena in thixotropic systems. J Non Newtonian Fluid Mech 102:157–178

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Potanin AA (1992) On the model of colloidal aggregates and aggregating colloids. J Chem Phys 96(12):9191–9200

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Potanin AA (1993) On the computer simulation of the deformation and breakup of colloidal aggregates in shear flow. J Colloid Interface Sci 157:399–410

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Potanin AA, De Rooij R, Van den Ende D, Mellema J (1995) Microrheological modeling of weakly aggregated dispersions. J Chem Phys 102:5845–5853

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Rennhofer H, Zanghellini B (2021) Dispersion state and damage of carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers by ultrasonic dispersion: a review. Nanomaterials 11:1469

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Shih WH, Shih WY, Kim SI, Liu J, Aksay IA (1990) Scaling behavior of the elastic properties of colloidal gels. Phys Rev A 42:4772–4778

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Song YS, Youn JR (2005) Influence of dispersion states of carbon nanotubes on physical properties of epoxy nanocomposites. Carbon 43:1378–1385

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Sung SH, Kim S, Park JH, Ahn KH (2020) Role of PVDF in rheology and microstructure of NCM cathode slurries for lithium-ion battery. Materials 13:4544

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Sonntag RC, Russel WB (1986) Structure and breakup of flocs subjected to fluid stresses: I. Shear experiments. J Colloid Interface Sci 113:399–413

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Urena-Benavides EE, Kayatin MJ, Davis VA (2013) Dispersion and rheology of multiwalled carbon nanotubes in unsaturated polyester resin. Macromolecules 46:1942–1950

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Vermant J, Ceccia S, Dolgovskij MK, Maffettone PL, Macosko CW (2007) Quantifying dispersion of layered nanocomposites via melt rheology. J Rheol 51:429–450

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Wu H, Morbidelli M (2001) A model relating structure of colloidal gels to their elastic properties. Langmuir 17:1030–1036

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Zhu C, Smay JE (2011) Thixotropic rheology of concentrated alumina colloidal gels for solid freeform fabrication. J Rheol 55:655–672

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by 2022-2023 Research Grant (No. 2022-A000-00648 and No. 2023-A000-0084) from Sangmyung University, Republic of Korea.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Sangmyung University, Seoul, 03016, Republic of Korea

    Daeun Lee & Sangkyun Koo

Authors
  1. Daeun Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sangkyun Koo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sangkyun Koo.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lee, D., Koo, S. Thixotropic behavior and particulate aggregation in a suspension of carbon nanotubes. Korea-Aust. Rheol. J. 35, 127–135 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13367-023-00060-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13367-023-00060-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation