Cluster size distribution of spherical nanoparticles in polymer nanocomposites: rheological quantification and evidence of phase separation.

Currently, it is a great challenge to characterize the dispersion quality of nanoparticles in nanocomposites through experimental techniques. In this work, we suggest a new rheological method based on the strain rate amplification effect to determine the cluster size distribution in polymer nanocomposites. The dispersion exponents of nanoparticles from this rheological method are in good agreement with the cluster analysis of transmission electron microscope (TEM) images.

Liquid-to-solid transition of concentrated suspensions under complex transient shear histories.

Suspensions containing noncolloidal aluminum particles in a Newtonian carrier liquid and the effects of shear history on the rheological properties of suspensions are investigated showing a critical concentration phi(c), which is close to the "freezing" packing fraction of spherical particle suspensions. An apparent liquid-to-solid transition was clearly found for suspensions below phi(c) via transient step shear after long shear history as well as via the large amplitude oscillatory shear flow with controlled shear stress. The microstructures or the local flow characteristics of suspensions with phiphi(c) are still different according to the Fourier Transform Rheological analysis.

Shape evolution of a single liquid-crystal droplet immersed in an isotropic matrix under transient and steady flow.

The morphology evolution of immiscible polymer-liquid crystal systems is quite different from flexible polymer-polymer mixtures due to the anisotropic properties of liquid crystals. The deformation and retraction of a single low molar mass liquid crystal 4'-pentyl-4-biphenylcarbonitrile (5CB) droplet and 4'-octyl-4-biphenylcarbonitrile (8CB) dispersed in polydimethyl-siloxane under two-dimensional linear flow was investigated by a computer-controlled four-roll mill, which is equipped with an optical microscope and a digital camera. The deformation parameter and orientation angle during deformation versus capillary number was obtained and compared with calculations using the Maffettone-Minale (MM) model and the Yu-Zhou liquid-crystal (YZ-LC) model.

The influence of electric field-induced orientation on the retraction of a liquid crystal droplet immersed in a flexible polymer matrix.

We measured the apparent interfacial tension between a liquid crystal and a flexible polymer by deformed droplet retraction method. An external electric field is applied to change the director orientation in liquid crystal droplet. The deformation and recovery of a single liquid crystal droplet dispersed in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix were realized by a transient shear flow and observed by polarized optical microscope.

A study on interfacial tension between flexible polymer and liquid crystal.

The interfacial property in polymer-liquid crystal systems is quite different from flexible polymer-polymer mixtures due to the anisotropic properties of liquid crystals. The apparent interfacial tension between a liquid crystal and a flexible polymer was measured by deformed droplet retraction method. The deformation and recovery of a single liquid crystal droplet dispersed in a poly(dimethylsiloxane) matrix were realized by a transient shear flow and observed by polarized optical microscope.

Dynamics and rheology of immiscible polymer-liquid-crystal systems.

The morphology evolution in immiscible polymer-liquid-crystal systems is quite different from flexible polymer-polymer mixtures due to the anisotropic properties of liquid crystals. The dynamics and rheology of such system are discussed. A theoretical model is proposed to describe the dynamics of liquid-crystal droplets in a flow field and the rheological properties of immiscible liquid-crystal/polymer mixtures.

Orientational defects near colloidal particles in a nematic liquid crystal.

We study the interaction between a surface-anchoring colloidal particle and a liquid-crystalline host, and in particular the formation of orientational defects near the particle. A mean-field theory based on the nonlocal Marrucci-Greco nematic potential is used to represent molecular interactions in an inhomogeneous orientational field. An evolution equation for the molecular configuration tensor is solved numerically whose steady state minimizes the total free energy of the system.