A Confocal Rheology Study of Network Stabilized Bicontinuous Emulsion Gels

In this thesis, a new bicontinuous soft material was discovered. Bicontinuous intraphase jammed emulsion gels (bipjels) were formed from critical mixtures of water and 2,6-lutidine and were stabilized with commercially produced alumina coated silica nanoparticles. Using a novel confocal rheology platform, the microstructure and rheological properties of the bipjels were simultaneously studied and provided key insights into the morphology and stability of the new materials during their formation, aging, and cooling. Through varying the concentration of the nanoparticles and the initial mixing energy delivered to the bipjel mixtures, the final morphologies could be tuned. A curvature analysis was performed over the aging of the different biPjel samples showing traits of optimal hyperbolic surfaces. The bipjels did not lose their strength upon cooling and liquids remixing which bodes well for their future development as an advanced material. Bipjels represent a new gateway for understanding the role non-interfacially localized particles play in stabilizing non-equilibrium morphologies.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MSc)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Chemical and Petroleum Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Graduate Studies

Year dc:date.issued

2018

Author dc:creator

• Malone, Rachel Alexis

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Trifkovic, Milana

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Karan, Kunal
• Bryant, Steven L.

• bijel
• cocontinuous structures
• confocal rheology
• colloidal gel
• spinodal decomposition
• curvature analysis

Statement dc:rights

• University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.

Language dc:language.iso

eng

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/32862

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ucalgary.scholaris.ca:1880/107684