Rheological behavior of carbon nanotube-alumina nanoparticle dispersion systems

In this work, Al₂O₃ nanoparticle and CNT-Al₂O₃ nanoparticle suspensions were studied. Both Al₂O₃ nanoparticle and CNT-Al₂O₃ nanoparticle systems exhibit shear-thinning behavior. The viscosities increase monotonically with the suspension solids loading. For the 40 vol.% solids loading suspension, CNT effect on the viscosity is not substantial until the content is ≥ 1.3 vol.%. The suspension yield stress to flow provides a measure of the particle-particle networking in the suspension. With the adsorbed poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) layer on the particle surface, substantial colloidal interactions are observed when the solids loading is > 35 vol.% and the CNT content is > 1.3 vol.%. Storage modulus and loss modulus can be used to understand the relative magnitude of the viscoplastic behavior and the elastic behavior of the suspension as well as the transition between the two. The relative magnitude of the dynamic modulii is a strong function of the solids loading and the CNT content.