Rheological behaviour of titanium dioxide (uncoated anatase) in ethylene glycol

The rheological properties of dispersions of particles of uncoated anatase in ethylene glycol have been determined. In general, the samples show classical shear thinning behaviour, but with shear thickening occurring at high stresses. The variation of viscosity with particle volume fraction, pH, water content and the addition of poly(acrylic acid) has been studied. Uncoated anatase was found to exist in dispersion in the form of aggregates. Packing within the aggregates was observed to be 0.6, through adaptation of the Krieger-Dougherty equation and application of viscosity data. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.