Surface properties of silane-treated titania nanoparticles and their rheological behavior in silicone oil

The surface of rutile titania nanoparticles was chemically modified by reacting with alkoxy silane. The surface and rheological properties in silicone oil having a wide range of viscosity were investigated. Total surface free energy (gamma(s)) of the titania particles decreased from 53.12 to 26.94 mJ/m(2) as the silane used for surface treatment was increased from 0 to 5.0 wt%. The surface free energy of neat silane was 25.5 mJ/m(2), which is quite close to that of titania particles treated with 5.0 wt% silane. Due to the hydrophobic nature of treated-titanic, the contact angle was accordingly higher for polar solvent in the order of water > ethylene glycol > formamide > alpha-bromonaphthalene. In sum of rheological behavior, as the applied shear stress or viscosity of the silicone oil increased, the titania particles tend to form layers and agglomerated clusters, showing shear-thinning and shear-thickening behaviors, sequentially. A good dispersion of discrete titanic particles obeying a Newtonian flow behavior was achieved at a surface energy or low concentration of silane-treated titania particles in hydrophobic silicone oil.