Obtaining carbon nanotubes dispersions in solutions of ethoxylated fatty alcohols for modifying gel systems

A systematic study of the effect of nonionic surfactants – ethoxylated higher fatty alcohols with a variable degree of ethoxylation on the process of ultrasonic dispersion of carbon nanotubes in aqueous solutions and on the colloidal-chemical properties of the resulting dispersions during long-term storage – optical density, size and electrokinetic potential of the particles of colloidal systems was carried out. A non-linear dependence of the characteristics of dispersions on the ethoxylation degree associated with structural changes in the molecules of nonionic surfactants was revealed. The most effective ethoxylation degree and the concentration of nonionic surfactants in solution, which have the highest disaggregating and stabilizing effects in the preparation of carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersions, have been determined. The effect ethoxylation degree of ethoxylated higher fatty alcohols on the electrokinetic properties of CNT dispersions has been revealed. The possibility of using carbon nanotube dispersions for modifying the rheological and electrical properties of gel systems based on lightly crosslinked polyacrylic acid is shown. The effect of nonionic surfactants and CNTs on viscosity, shear yield point, consistency index, mechanical stability, relaxation time, and viscous flow activation energy of polymer gels has been studied. It is shown that the introduction of nanotubes leads to an increase in the electrical conductivity of the gels. The ultrastructure of gel samples was studied by transmission electron microscopy.