The scaling behavior of a highly aggregated colloidal suspension microstructure and its change in shear flow

The nature of the network structure and the evolution of structural change in shear flow were investigated for metal particle dispersions in terms of fractal aggregation of colloidal particles. Polymer-stabilized metal particle inks were prepared via a polyvinyl chloride coating dispersed in solvent. The fractal dimension of 1.74 was calculated with the scaling model based on the power law relationship between the elastic modulus and volume fraction. This scaling behavior can be explained by considering the deformable network structure of soft materials. While the elastic property of the floc was dominant, the limit of linearity was found at the inter-floc link, which is relatively weak and brittle. The steady shear results reveal two mechanisms that contribute to the breakdown of the microstructure in metal particle inks at increasing shear rate. Scaling of steady shear viscosity shows that these mechanisms are related to both inter-floc interactions and the elasticity of the floc itself. Further, these results suggest that individual flocs deform with weak inter-floc interactions and rupture into smaller flocs or aggregates at high shear stress, which is associated with the increased shear rate.