Rheology of aqueous carbon black dispersions

The interaction of carbon black with an acrylic resin has been investigated by rheology. Two carbon blacks, with similar particle size and surface characteristics but quite different particle morphologies, have been examined. These are somewhat arbitrarily denoted as "spherical" and "fractal" as shown by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and ultrasonic spectroscopy studies. In the absence of polymer, stable aqueous dispersions could not be obtained. Stable dispersions could be obtained, however, upon addition of polymer to a level corresponding to a ratio of 50 mg of polymer per 13 m(2) ( +/-1 m(2)) of surface area (i.e., 15 wt% particles). These stable dispersions exhibit flow typical of concentrated dispersions-Newtonian behavior up to some apparent "yield" or critical value, above which pronounced shear thinning is observed. The critical stress increases with increasing polymer concentration. When a significant amount of nonadsorbed polymer is also present, a second Newtonian plateau is superimposed on the shear-thinning behavior. This feature is observed for both particle types but is more pronounced for the fractal particle. When there is little or no nonadsorbed polymer, the viscosity of the fractal particle dispersions is greater than the viscosity of the spherical particle dispersions. At low polymer concentrations, the dispersions are predominantly viscous at low shear stresses. The phase angle decreases significantly over a narrow shear stress range and the rheology tends to more elastic behavior. At higher shear stresses, the dependence on particle morphology is weak. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.