Relating the molecular structure of comb-type superplasticizers to the compression rheology of MgO suspensions

We have investigated the effect of superplasticizers on the rheological properties of concentrated MgO suspensions. The comb-type anionic polymers with grafted polyethylene oxide chains adsorb onto the MgO surface and infer a steric repulsion where the range scales with the length of the PEO side chains. Consolidation experiments, where the volume fraction gradient of particle networks has been determined in response to a centrifugal force field, offer a simple, yet accurate, way of investigating flocculated, partly stabilized and stable suspensions under compression. The compression rheology behaviour could be related to the estimated thickness of the adsorbed superplasticizers and a scaling analysis was used to quantitatively assess the importance of the length of the grafted PEO-chains on the magnitude of the inter-particle bond strength. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.