Shear effects on crystal nucleation in colloidal suspensions

Juan J. Cerdà, Tomás Sintes, C. Holm, C. M. Sorensen, and A. Chakrabarti
Phys. Rev. E 78, 031403 – Published 8 September 2008

Abstract

Extensive two-dimensional Langevin dynamics simulations are used to determine the effect of steady shear flows on the crystal nucleation kinetics of charge stabilized colloids and colloids whose pair potential possess an attractive shallow well of a few kBT’s (attractive colloids). Results show that in both types of systems small amounts of shear speeds up the crystallization process and enhances the quality of the growing crystal significantly. Moderate shear rates, on the other hand, destroy the ordering in the system. The very high shear rate regime where a reentering transition to the ordered state could exist is not considered in this work. In addition to the crystal nucleation phenomena, the analysis of the transport properties and the characterization of the steady state regime under shear are performed.

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  • Received 5 April 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.78.031403

©2008 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Juan J. Cerdà1, Tomás Sintes2, C. Holm1,3, C. M. Sorensen4, and A. Chakrabarti4

  • 1Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, J. W. Goethe-Universität, Ruth-Moufang-Strasse 1, D-60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
  • 2Instituto de Física Interdisciplinar y Sistemas Complejos IFISC (CSIC-UIB), Universitat de les Illes Balears, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
  • 3Max-Planck-Institut für Polymerforschung, Ackermannweg 10, D-55128, Mainz, Germany
  • 4Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Cardwell Hall, Manhattan, Kansas 66506-2601, USA

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Issue

Vol. 78, Iss. 3 — September 2008

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