Decoupling elasticity and electrical conductivity of carbon-black gels filled with insulating non-Brownian grains

Abstract

A unique bistable transition has been identified in granular-colloidal gel composites, resulting from shear-induced phase separation of the gel phase into dense blobs. In energy applications, it is critical to understand how this transition influences electrical performance. Mixing conductive colloids with conductive inclusions, we find that the conductivity and elasticity move in concert, both decreasing in the collapsed phase-separated state. Surprisingly, with insulating inclusions, these properties can become decoupled, with the conductivity instead increasing despite the collapse of the gel structure.