Connecting particle clustering and rheology in attractive particle networks

The structural properties of suspensions and other multiphase systems are vital to overall processability, functionality and acceptance among consumers. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the intrinsic connection between the microstructure of a material and the resulting rheological properties....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Soft matter 2020-09, Vol.16 (36), p.838-8393
Main Authors: Bindgen, Sebastian, Bossler, Frank, Allard, Jens, Koos, Erin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Clustering
Coordination numbers
Correlation analysis
Graph theory
Microstructure
Networks
Properties (attributes)
Rheological properties
Rheology
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Summary:The structural properties of suspensions and other multiphase systems are vital to overall processability, functionality and acceptance among consumers. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the intrinsic connection between the microstructure of a material and the resulting rheological properties. Here, we demonstrate how the transitions in the microstructural conformations can be quantified and correlated to rheological measurements. We find semi-local parameters from graph theory, the mathematical study of networks, to be useful in linking structure and rheology. Our results, using capillary suspensions as a model system, show that the use of the clustering coefficient, in combination with the coordination number, is able to capture not only the agglomeration of particles, but also measures the formation of groups. These phenomena are tightly connected to the rheological properties. The present sparse networks cannot be described by established techniques such as betweenness centrality. We introduce graph theory measures and demonstrate how transitions in microstructural conformations can be quantified and correlated to the rheology.
ISSN:1744-683X
1744-6848
DOI:10.1039/d0sm00861c