6. Gaining of Conductivity in Shear Thickening Fluids

Shear thickening fluids are made of polymeric carrier liquids and organic or inorganic nano/micro-particles distributed in them. These special fluids naturally show dielectric properties due to polymeric composition. However, some attempts have been made to gain conductivity with these intelligent fluids. In the present work, a conventional shear thickening fluid was fabricated by using nano-size silica particles distributed in a polyethylene glycol medium. The rheology of this material was investigated under increasing shear rates. Moreover, electrical conductivity measurements were carried out to understand the conductive performance. Then, in the conductive phase, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were included in the suspension to enhance the electrical conductivity. The effect of CNTs on both rheology and conductivity was investigated.