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Rheology and Electrorheology of Nanorod-Loaded Liquid Crystalline Polymers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Ana Raquel Cameron-Soto ,
Sonia Lizmar Aviles-Barreto  and
Aldo Acevedo-Rullan
Ana Raquel Cameron-Soto
Affiliation:
ana02raquel@yahoo.com, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, Department of Chemical Engineering, Mayaguez, PR, Puerto Rico
Sonia Lizmar Aviles-Barreto
Affiliation:
sonializmar@gmail.com, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, Department of Chemical Engineering, Pakistan
Aldo Acevedo-Rullan
Affiliation:
aldacevedo@uprm.edu, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, Department of Chemical Engineering, Pakistan
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Abstract

The effect of carbon nanotube concentration and dispersion on the rheology of liquid crystalline solutions of hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) has been experimentally studied. The rheology of nanocomposites of HPC and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) in m-cresol was characterized in steady-state and transient dynamic tests. The rheology as particle loading increases shows a very distinct response in the magnitude and scaling of the steady-state viscosity, and the storage and loss modulus. The liquid crystalline phase was characterized by direct observations by reflected polarized light microscopy. Additionally, an electric-field effect was observed on the rheology of the HPC/MWCNT in m-cresol soft composites. The HPC in m-cresol matrix is non-responsive, thus the electrorheological effect is due to the presence of the carbon nanotubes. The mechanism for this effect is still uncertain, since it does not follow the scaling predicted by simple models for heterogeneous or homogeneous ER fluids.

Keywords

liquid crystalfluidpolymer
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1129: Symposium V – Materials and Devices for Smart Systems III , 2008 , 1129-V05-03
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

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