Pair interaction and phase separation in mixtures of colloids and excluded volume polymers
The interactions in polymer-colloid mixtures and their phase stability are calculated using the adsorption method. Starting from appropriate expressions for the correlation length and the osmotic pressure of a polymer solution in the excluded volume interaction limit, this method allows computation...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2003
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| Summary: | The interactions in polymer-colloid mixtures and their phase stability are calculated using the adsorption method. Starting from appropriate expressions for the correlation length and the osmotic pressure of a polymer solution in the excluded volume interaction limit, this method allows computation of the potential between two plates, two spheres and between a sphere and a plate. The results are in close agreement with computer simulation results. Extended to a many body system of colloids and polymers, the same approach allows one to calculate the thermodynamic properties and phase behavior. Results are presented for the phase behavior of polymer-sphere and polymer-platelet mixtures. The agreement with experimental data is satisfactory and helps to better explain the polymer-colloid phase behavior. |
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