Dynamics of shear-thinning suspensions of core-shell structured latex particles.

The rheological behavior and microstructure of shear-thinning suspensions of core-shell structured carboxylated latex particles were examined. The steady shear viscosity of the suspension increased with increasing dissociation of the carboxyl groups or increasing particle concentration, however the critical shear stress sigma(c) and inter-particle distance xi of the microstructure did not change. With increasing particle diameter, sigma(c) increased and xi decreased. These results were consistent with a Brownian hard sphere model, in which competition exists between the bulk mass transfer due to the applied field and diffusion of the particles. We confirmed that sigma(c) depends on xi, as expressed by sigma(c) = 3kT/4pi xi3. This relationship is consistent with the dynamics of a Brownian hard sphere model with particle diameter xi. Thus the dynamics of shear-thinning suspensions of core-shell particles can be explained by a Brownian thermodynamic model.