Phase behaviour of colloid-polymer mixtures |
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Authors: | W C K Poon S M Ilett P N Pusey |
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Affiliation: | (1) Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, EH9 3JZ Edinburgh, Scotland, UK |
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Abstract: | Summary 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 ξ=r
g/R, the ratio of the radius of gyration of a polymer molecule, to the radius of the colloid. At large ξ, a stable colloidalliquid phase becomes possible. This has been confirmed by recent experiments. The formation of non-equilibrium ?transient gel? states
when the size ratio is small (≈0.08) is also introduced briefly.
Paper presented at the I International Conference on Scaling Concepts and Complex Fluids, Copanello, Italy, July 4–8, 1994. |
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Keywords: | Colloids |
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