Shear thickening of Laponite suspensions with poly(ethylene oxide)

We study the effect of addition of polyethylene oxide (PEO) on the rheological behavior of suspensions of Laponite. Experiments were performed on mixtures of PEO and Laponite at different concentrations. These mixtures can exhibit very strong shear thickening behavior: under shear, the suspension can become a yield stress material sufficiently strong to support its own weight. Depending on the polymer concentration, we observe continuous or discontinuous shear thickening mechanisms; it is the discontinuous shear thickening that leads to the formation of yield stress materials.