Microstructure and rheology of shear-thickening colloidal suspensions with varying interparticle friction: Comparison of experiment with theory and simulation models

Abstract

Two colloidal suspensions of paucidisperse, spherical silica particles with different surface chemistries leading to extreme limits of surface contact friction are studied to identify experimental differences in shear rheology and microstructure and quantitatively test theory and simulation models. The nonequilibrium microstructure in the plane of shear is measured by flow-small angle neutron scattering for steady shear states spanning the shear thinning and shear thickening regimes. The shear rheology and microstructure are compared against predictions from theory for Brownian hard sphere suspensions and state-of-the-art simulation methods that incorporate either contact friction or enhanced lubrication hydrodynamics. The first normal stress differences are confirmed to distinguish between these micromechanical mechanisms for stress enhancement in the shear thickened regime. The nonequilibrium microstructure in the plane of shear shows more anisotropy for the suspension with higher interparticle friction. A significant fourfold symmetry is confirmed and found to be amplified with increasing surface contact friction in the shear thickened state. The differences in shear-induced microstructures between suspensions with varying contact friction demonstrate that the nonequilibrium microstructure can distinguish between nanotribological interactions in the shear thickened state. Statistical comparison of experiments with simulations indicates that better resolution of microstructures in simulation models is required to be validated by the experimental data presented. Implications for the development of theories for colloidal suspension rheology are discussed.