Transient gelation by spinodal decomposition in colloid-polymer mixtures

Nynke A.M. Verhaegh, Daniela Asnaghi, Henk N.W. Lekkerkerker, Marzio Giglio and Luca Cipelletti

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 1997, vol. 242, issue 1, 104-118

Abstract: We have investigated with small angle light scattering and optical microscopy transient gelation phenomena which occur in phase-separating colloid-polymer mixtures. The scattering intensity distribution shows a peak at non-zero wave vector and satisfies the asymptotic q−4 Porod behaviour. Consistent with these observations, optical micrographs show an alternating pattern of dark and bright domains. These findings suggest that the polymer-induced depletion forces lead to the formation of a bicontinuous network of colloid-rich and colloid-poor domains, via a spinodal decomposition process. This bicontinuous network rapidly attains a gel-like character as indicated by the arrest of speckle fluctuations. The occurrence of the gel is ascribed to polymer-induced aggregation between the colloids in the colloid-rich phase. Due to the reversible nature of the aggregation the network restructures and eventually the gel collapses, as is manifested by the rapid separation of the colloid-rich phase from the colloid-poor phase.

Date: 1997
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:242:y:1997:i:1:p:104-118

DOI: 10.1016/S0378-4371(97)00184-2

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