Abstract: Shear thickening is a general process crucial for many processed products ranging from food and personal care to pharmaceuticals. Theoretical calculations and mathematical simulations of hydrodynamic interactions and granular-like contacts have proved that contact forces between suspended particles dominate the rheological characteristic of colloidal suspensions. However, relevant experimental studies are very rare. This study was conducted to reveal the influence of nanoparticle (NP) interactions on the rheological behavior of shear-thickening fluids (STFs) by changing the colloidal surface chemistries. Silica NPs with various surface chemical compositions are fabricated and used to prepare dense suspensions. Rheological experiments are conducted to determine the influence of NP interactions on corresponding dense suspension systems. The results suggest that the surface chemistries of silica NPs determine the rheological behavior of dense suspensions, including shear-thickening behavior, onset stress, critical volume fraction, and jamming volume fraction. This study provides useful reference for designing effective STFs and regulating their characteristics. 

KeyWords Plus: STOKESIAN DYNAMICS SIMULATION; DILATANT VISCOSITY BEHAVIOR; COLLOIDAL DISPERSIONS; BROWNIAN SUSPENSIONS; CONCENTRATED SUSPENSIONS; DENSE SUSPENSIONS; MIXED SUSPENSIONS; OXIDE SUSPENSIONS; PARTICLE-SIZE; RHEOLOGY 

Published in LANGMUIR, 33 (4):1037-1042; 10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b04060 JAN 31 2017