Ensemble-averaged particle orientation and shear viscosity of single-wall-carbon-nanotube suspensions under shear and electric fields

Abstract

The ensemble-averaged particle-orientation angles and apparent shear viscosities of dilute suspensions of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in a liquid solvent, α-terpineol, were experimentally studied under combined shear flow and electric fields. An optical polarization-modulation method was used to measure the orientation angles of individual and small bundles of SWNTs, while a modified concentric-cylinder viscometer was used to make simultaneous electrorheological measurements of the apparent viscosity. The particle-orientation response occurs on time scales one to two orders of magnitude faster than the macroscopic electrorheological response, and does not appear to directly affect the apparent viscosity at these low concentrations. Particle-orientation angles for various shear rates and electric fields are found to collapse when plotted against the parameter, f∼E2/γ̇, as predicted by the theory developed by Mason and co-workers for the equilibrium orientation angle of ellipsoids under electric fields and shear flow. However, comparison between measured and predicted particle-orientation angles shows poor agreement at intermediate values of f. Electrostatic interactions between large-aspect-ratio particles are shown to be significant, and may account for the discrepancy between the measurements and classical theory for even dilute suspensions of nanotubes under both shear and electric fields.