The multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) physisorbed by aromatic ionic salts such as 10-methyl-acridinium iodide (MAcI) were found to well disperse in diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A epoxy resin. As they were subjected to the rheological study at 30 degrees C, the gelation of epoxy/MWCNT-MAcI suspension occurred at 0.75 wt% MWCNT-MAcI, which was less than that using pristine MWCNT. As to the viscosity measurements, the dilation effect that the viscosity of epoxy/MWCNT suspension increases with shear rate was found and more pronounced by incorporating MWCNT-MAcI. According to the Thomas modified Einstein viscosity equation, the dilation effect was attributed to the excess amount of epoxy resin trapping in the aggregated domain of MWCNT. By increasing the shear rate to a certain point, the shear thinning effect that the viscosity decreases with shear rate was also observed. Interestingly, the transition point that the dilation effect changes to shear thinning effect shifted to lower shear rate as the content of MWCNT increased and/or MWCNT-MAcI was incorporated. Notably, better dispersion and less aggregated domains for the suspensions with MWCNT-MAcI compared to pristine MWCNT were further supported by small angle x-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.