Abstract
We use a mesoscopic simulation technique to study the effect of short-ranged interparticle attractions on the steady-state sedimentation of colloidal suspensions. Attractions increase the average sedimentation velocity vs compared to the pure hard-sphere case, and for strong enough attractions, a nonmonotonic dependence on the packing fraction φ with a maximum velocity at intermediate φ is observed. Attractions also strongly enhance hydrodynamic velocity fluctuations, which show a pronounced maximum size as a function of φ. These phenomena arise from a complex interplay between nonequilibrium hydrodynamic effects and the thermodynamics of transient cluster formation.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 068301 |
Journal | Physical Review Letters |
Volume | 104 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2010 |
Externally published | Yes |