Preparation and Effects of Shear Exfoliated Multilayer graphene on the Viscosity of Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose (NaCMC) polymer

Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose (NaCMC) is a water-soluble polymer which is widely used as a thickener, stabilizer and viscosity modifier in different industries. As temperature increases, the length of the polymer chain of NaCMC decreases and viscosity of its solution drops sharply. In this paper, multilayer graphene sheets were produced by shear exfoliation of graphite in water/surfactant (Triton X-100) solution and NaCMC was dissolved in the obtained dispersion. The results show that shear exfoliated graphene (SEG) sheets do not affect the initial viscosity of NaCMC polymer solution, while they can dramatically prevent thermal degradation and reduction of after heat aging viscosity. This improved thermal stability not only occurs in low salinity solutions but also in saturated salt solutions. Also, results indicate that by increasing the duration of shear exfoliation process, after heat aging viscosity of NaCMC solutions increases. Finally, Alfalfa extract and Alkyl polyglycoside (APG0810), two eco-frie...