Abstract
We review the phase behaviour of mixtures of colloids and non-adsorbing polymers. The exclusion of polymer molecules from overlapping ''depletion zones'' between two neighbouring colloidal particles results in an unbalanced osmotic pressure pushing the particles together. This depletion potential is separately tunable in range and depth. Theory predicts that the resulting phase behaviour is sensitive to xi = r(g)/R, the ratio of the radius of gyration of a polymer molecule, to the radius of the colloid. At large xi, a stable colloidal liquid phase becomes possible. This has been confirmed by recent experiments. The formation of non-equilibrium ''transient gel'' states when the size ratio is small (approximate to 0.08) is also introduced briefly.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1127-1139 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Nuovo Cimento D |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| Publication status | Published - Aug 1994 |
| Event | I International Conference on Scaling Concepts and Complex Fluids - COPANELLO, Italy Duration: 4 Jul 1994 → 8 Jul 1994 |
Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)
- NONADSORBING POLYMER
- FRACTAL AGGREGATION
- DISPERSIONS
- SEPARATION
- SUSPENSIONS
- MOLECULES
- SYSTEMS
- SPHERES
- PERCOLATION
- SIMULATION