Rheology of suspensions with aluminum nano-particles
doi: 10.5028/jatm.2009.01014347

Ulrich Teipel*
Georg-Simon-Ohm University
Nuremberg - Germany
ulrich.teipel@ohm-hochschule.de

Ulrich Förter-Barth
Institut Chemische Technologie
Pfinztal - Germany

*author for correspondence

Abstract:

Nano-scale aluminum particles are innovative materials increasingly used in energetic formulations. In this contribution, the rheological behavior of suspensions with either paraffin oil or HTPB as the matrix fluid and nano-scale aluminum (ALEX) as the dispersed phase is described and discussed. The paraffin oil/aluminum suspensions exhibit non-Newtonian flow behavior over a wide range of concentrations, whereas the HTPB/aluminum suspensions exhibit
Newtonian behavior (i.e. the viscosity is independent of shear stress) up to a concentration of 50 vol.% aluminum. Both systems have unusual viscoelastic properties in that their elastic moduli are independent of the solids concentration.

Keywords:

Aluminum nano-particles, Rheology, ALEX, HTPB, Viscoelastic properties.