Electrorheological fluid of kaolinite-based ternary nanocomposite and its properties

According to the physical and chemical design, a kind of kaolinite /dimethylsulfoxide/carboxymethyl starch (CMS) ternary nanocomposite was prepared by the two-step composite method. Firstly, the polar liquid-dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) was directly intercalated into the interlayer of kaolinite, and then the intercalated complex was composite with CMS by the solution method. The results showed that DMSO moderately intercalated the interlayer of kaolinite and the basal spacing of kaolinite was swollen from 0.715 to 1.120 nm. Under the electric fields of 5 kV mm^-1 and volume fraction 30%, the static shear stress of kaolinite/DMSO/CMS ternary ERF could reach 17 kPa, which was 14 times and 4.25 times higher than that of pure kaolinite ERF and kaolinite/CMS ERF respectively. At the suitable component ratio (kaolinite:DMSO:CMS=1:0.75:0. 6) of nanocomposite, a stronger synergetic effect and the optimum electrorheological effect could be attained. The ternary nanocomposite ERF also had good temperature effect and sedimentation properties. The sedimentation part of ternary nanocomposite ERF was only 9% after 30 days. The results of dielectric properties showed that the dielectric constant and conductivity of ternary nanocomposite ERF had been improved more enormously than that of the single component ERF and binary composite ERF. So the polarization and dielectric mismatch were strengthened, which was suitable to the enhancement of ER effect. Copyright by Science in China Press 2005.