Drying of sessile droplets of binary colloidal aqueous mixtures of carbon nanotubes and platelets of Laponite®

Abstract

Drying of sessile droplets of binary colloidal aqueous mixtures of carbon nanotubes (CNT) and platelets of Laponite® (Lap) has been studied. The concentration of CNT was fixed at CCNT= 0.01% wt., and the relative concentration of Lap and CNT, was varied within x = CLap/CCNT= 0–2. Formation of the three different zones related to formation of the almost transparent round "enlightenment" in the center, outer “gray” ring, and thin “coffer” ring at the external boundary was detected. Observed effects were explained accounting for the effects of Lap on the facilitation of dispersion of CNT in aqueous systems.