Effect of cellulose beads on shear-thickening behavior in concentrated polymer dispersions

Abstract

In the present work, we investigated the role of cellulose beads as additive for tuning of shear thickening (ST) behavior of traditional colloidal silica-based shear thickening fluids (STFs). STFs were synthesized with colloidal silica in liquid polyethylene glycol (PEG-200). The ST behavior of cellulose-based STF was compared with silica-based STF in terms of the steady-state and dynamic rheological studies while keeping the same total mass loading in PEG-200 polymer matrix. The ST behavior of cellulose-based STF was found to be more than three times higher than the silica-based STF at the same concentration. It can be expected that the cellulose beads with dense surface hydroxyl groups are a prime reason for improved interfacial interaction between the liquid PEG chains and the PEG-coated silica nanoparticles through strong hydrogen bonding. Both the steady-state and dynamic rheological analyses confirmed the better shear thickening and strain thickening behavior, respectively, as well as higher energy absorption property for cellulose-based STFs. The improved ST behavior of porous cellulose-based STF is definitely due to the cluster formation. This has been justifiably complemented by SEM and in situ rheological microscopy analyses.