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Published on: January 23, 2013
Structure of capillary suspensions and their versatile applications in the creation of smart materials
Katharina Hauf1, Erin Koos1,2
1Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, Institute for Mechanical Process Engineering and Mechanics, Karlsruhe, Germany.
Abstract:
In this article, we review recent research in the field of capillary suspensions and highlight a variety of applications in the field of smart materials. Capillary suspensions are liquid-liquid-solid ternary systems where one liquid is only present in a few percent and induces a strong, capillary-induced particle network. These suspensions have a large potential for exploitation, particularly in the production of porous materials since the paste itself and the properties of the final material can be adapted. We also discuss the rheological properties of the suspension and network structure to highlight the various ways these systems can be tuned.
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