Suspensions of carbonaceous nanoparticles (NPs) in ethylene glycol (EG) can be used as colloidal inks for additive manufacturing and nano-fluids for heat-transfer applications. While micellar solutions of surfactants are often used for suspension of the NPs in water, micellization of surfactants in EG is suppressed as compared to aqueous solutions and a well-defined critical micellization concentration (CMC) is often not observed. Unlike the surfactants, a di-block copolymer comprising a poly(ethylene glycol) monomethylether methacrylate (PEGMA) segment, 2-(diethylaminoethyl) methacrylate (DEAEMA) and butyl methacrylate (BMA), poly(O950)-b-(DEAEMA-co-BMA) was found to assemble into spherical micelles in EG. Surface tension measurements show a well-defined CMC that depends on the volume fraction of EG. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering show the presence of spherical micelles with a diameter that reduces with the volume fraction of EG. The micellar solutions were further used for suspending carbonaceous NPs of different geometry and characteristic dimensions: C60 fullerenes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and nanodiamonds. The flow behavior of the suspensions exhibits a relatively low viscosity and mostly Newtonian behavior due to strong interaction between the NPs and the micelles. These suspensions may be used as colloidal inks for two-dimensional and three-dimensional printing.
- 3D printers,
- Block copolymers,
- Carbon nanotubes,
- Ethylene,
- Ethylene glycol,
- Fullerenes,
- Heat transfer,
- High resolution transmission electron microscopy,
- Light scattering,
- Micelles,
- Micellization,
- Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCN),
- Nanodiamonds,
- Polyethylene glycols,
- Polyols,
- Self assembly,
- Solutions,
- Surface active agents,
- Transmission electron microscopy,
- Viscosity,
- Volume fraction,
- Yarn, Butyl methacrylates,
- Carbonaceous nanoparticles,
- Critical micellization concentration,
- Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy,
- Ethylene glycol solutions,
- Heat transfer applications,
- Polymeric micelle,
- Surface tension measurements, Suspensions (fluids)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/anthony-convertine/29/