Electrorheological Effects in Lecithin Organogels with Water and Glycerol

Abstract

The effect of an external electric field on ternary mixtures consisting of lecithin,n-decane, and small amounts of polar additives (water or glycerol) has been studied by oscillating rheology, polarizing microscopy, and electric birefringence. It is shown that an electric field that is applied induces a so-called electrorheological (ER) effect, i.e., an increase in the viscosity and dynamic shear moduli of all the examined mixtures. The ER effect is absent in solutions of nonoverlapping micelles. The electric field causes the formation of fiber-like structures in the interelectrode gap. The ER effect becomes evident at a critical field of about 40 and 100 V/mm for water- and glycerol-containing organogels, respectively. In the latter case, a region of the reproducible and stable ER effect is extended up to 1700 V/mm, which is 3–4 times greater than that observed in the jelly-like phases with water. The buildup, as followed from birefringent measurements, includes fast and slow processes. Those correspond to both the local motions of parts of micellar chains and the restructuring of the whole network under the action of an external electric field. The ER response depends on the molar ratio of the polar additives to lecithin. Diagrams describing the behavior of ternary mixtures under the electric field have been constructed. They differ for water- and glycerol-containing organogels. The dependence of the stable ER effects on the molar ratio of glycerol to lecithin has a maximum in the vicinity of the phase separation of the homogeneous organogel, whereas for water-containing systems there is a gradual increase up to and including mixtures with the solid precipitate. A new rheological regime has been first established for solutions of polymer-like micelles. This feature is the square-root scaling of the dynamic moduli with the frequency. Such a scaling is inherent in polymers. A possible mechanism is considered, basing on the ordering of cylindrical micelles under the action of an external electric field.