Propagation of Orientation Across Lengthscales in Sheared Self-Assembling Hierarchical Suspensions via Rheo-PLI-SAXS
Journal article, 2025
Simultaneous rheological, polarized light imaging, and small-angle X-ray scattering experiments (Rheo-PLI-SAXS) are developed, thereby providing unprecedented level of insight into the multiscale orientation of hierarchical systems in simple shear. Notably, it is observed that mesoscale alignment in the flow direction does not develop simultaneously across nano-micro lengthscales in sheared suspensions of rod-like chiral-nematic (meso) phase forming cellulose nanocrystals. Rather, with increasing shear rate, orientation is observed first at mesoscale and then extends to the nanoscale, with influencing factors being the aggregation state of the hierarchy and concentration. In biphasic systems, where an isotropic phase co-exists with self-assembled liquid crystalline mesophase domains, the onset of mesodomain alignment towards the flow direction can occur at shear rates nearing one decade before a progressive increase in preferential orientation at nanoscale is detected. If physical confinement prevents the full formation of a cholesteric phase, mesoscale orientation occurs in shear rate ranges that correspond to de-structuring at nanoscale. Interestingly, nano- and mesoscale orientations appear to converge only for biphasic suspensions with primary nanoparticles predominantly made up of individual crystallites and in a high-aspect ratio nematic-forming thin-wall nanotube system. The nano-micro orientation propagation is attributed to differences in the elongation and breakage of mesophase domains.
rheology
ForMAX
multiscale analysis
small-angle x-ray scattering
polarized light imaging
MAX IV
combined rheological methods
CoSAXS
cellulose nanocrystals
hyphenated rheology
orientation
Author
Reza Ghanbari
Chalmers, Industrial and Materials Science, Engineering Materials
MAX IV Laboratory
Ann Terry
Lund Institute of Advanced Neutron and X-ray Science (LINXS)
MAX IV Laboratory
Sylwia Wojno
Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC)
Chalmers, Industrial and Materials Science, Engineering Materials
Marko Bek
Chalmers, Industrial and Materials Science, Engineering Materials
Lund Institute of Advanced Neutron and X-ray Science (LINXS)
Kesavan Sekar
Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC)
Chalmers, Industrial and Materials Science, Engineering Materials
Kim Nygård
Lund Institute of Advanced Neutron and X-ray Science (LINXS)
Viney Ghai
Chalmers, Industrial and Materials Science, Engineering Materials
Simona Bianco
University of Glasgow
Marianne Liebi
Chalmers, Physics, Materials Physics
Aleksandar Matic
Chalmers, Physics, Materials Physics
Gunnar Westman
Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Tiina Nypelö
Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC)
Lund Institute of Advanced Neutron and X-ray Science (LINXS)
Roland Kádár
Lund Institute of Advanced Neutron and X-ray Science (LINXS)
Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC)
Chalmers, Industrial and Materials Science, Engineering Materials
Advanced Science
2198-3844 (ISSN) 21983844 (eISSN)
Vol. 12 7 2410920Advanced rheometry of CNC based systems
Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC), 2019-01-01 -- 2024-12-31.
2D material-based technology for industrial applications (2D-TECH)
GKN Aerospace (2D-tech), 2021-01-01 -- 2024-12-31.
VINNOVA (2019-00068), 2020-05-01 -- 2024-12-31.
VINNOVA (2024-03852), 2023-11-01 -- 2029-12-31.
Development of a new rheometer system at MAX IV
The Chalmers University Foundation, 2019-03-01 -- 2021-12-31.
MAX IV Laboratory, 2019-03-01 -- 2021-12-31.
Subject Categories (SSIF 2011)
Other Mechanical Engineering
Other Physics Topics
Nano Technology
Other Materials Engineering
Condensed Matter Physics
Areas of Advance
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
Materials Science
DOI
10.1002/advs.202410920