Capillary Nanosuspensions

Capillary suspensions are suspensions in which the addition of small amount (less than 1% by volume) of a second immiscible liquid in the continuous phase induce the formation of a sample-spanning particle network, resulting in significant changes in their rheological properties. These changes include the increase in the yield stress and low-shear viscosity. This effect can be exploited to fine-tune the flow behavior of suspensions while reducing the need of additives (e.g., surfactants, binding agents). Some recently investigated applications include ceramics with high porosity, thermal interface materials and slurries for printable electronics. In this project, more relevant systems for the food and biological industries will be studied, including water-based capillary suspensions.