Structural investigation of hectorite aqueous suspensions by dielectric microscopy and small-angle neutron scattering coupling with rheological measurement

Abstract

Abstract The microstructure of synthetic hectorite aqueous suspensions was investigated by scanning electron-assisted dielectric microscopy (SE-ADM) and small angle neutron scattering (SANS) coupled with rheological measurements (Rheo-SANS). The direct observations of the aqueous suspensions by SE-ADM confirmed the array structure of the hectorite discs with ~100–300 nm scale periodic length. The suspensions demonstrated a typical thixotropic flow curve with hysteresis. No change in the SANS profiles at high shear rate (1000 s−1) was observed by the Rheo-SANS. These results suggested that the array was destroyed by the shear rate but the microstructure in the arrays was preserved in flow condition.